How a Bahasa Malaysia arts journal is breaking barriers, attracting a crossover audience

The team behind 'Svara' (from left) Nazir, Hafiz and Badrul. This quarterly independent publication in Bahasa Malaysia, which focuses on culture, is also gearing up for a translated ‘best of’ English anthology next year. Photo: The Star/Muhamad Shahril Rosli

It might have taken three years for the main founders of the Svara journal – indie bookshop owner/writer Nazir Harith Fadzilah, writer/editor Hafiz Hamzah and filmmaker Badrul Hisham Ismail – to get their dream literary project off the ground.

But it took them less than three months at the start of this year to quickly rethink the editorial plans for the quarterly Bahasa Malaysia arts publication, which saw its inaugural issue arrive in early February.