Buku FIXI

Buku FIXI is a Malaysian independent publishing house established in 2011 by filmmaker Amir Muhammad. The company emerged from a perceived gap in contemporary Malay popular fiction. After attending a local literary awards ceremony, Muhammad observed that most of the Malay-language fiction being recognised was concentrated in romance. Buku FIXI was created in response, with the aim of expanding the range of urban, experimental, crime, horror, speculative, and otherwise unconventional fiction available to Malaysian readers. The name FIXI is derived from the Indonesian word fiksi, meaning fiction, and was also intended as a playful comment on the idea that absolute originality is difficult in novel writing. The publisher initially focused on contemporary urban fiction in Malay and English. Its early books included Shaz Johar’s Kougar, Ridhwan Saidi’s Cekik, and Khairunizam Bakeri’s Pecah. These titles helped establish a recognizable catalogue centred on modern settings, strong genre elements, and authors whose work did not necessarily fit established commercial publishing formulas. Over time, Buku FIXI expanded into short-story collections, literary anthologies, ebooks, trilogies, limited-edition books, graphic novels, and Malay translations of internationally known fiction. The publisher has stated or been described as having released more than 200 books. Buku FIXI developed several imprints for different editorial and commercial purposes. FIXI Novo publishes Malaysian English-language fiction and related anthologies, including the KL Noir series and location-based collections such as Love in Penang and Chronicles of KK. FIXI Verso publishes Malay translations of foreign fiction and translated works by Malaysian authors, including books associated with Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, John Green, Rainbow Rowell, Haruki Murakami, Dave Eggers, David Cronenberg, and Felicia Yap. FIXI Retro republishes or reintroduces older Malay works and out-of-print pulp-oriented or culturally significant texts. FIXI Dwi issued limited-run books combining Romanised Malay and Jawi scripts. Grafixi was created for graphic novels, including Malay translations of selected DC Comics titles, but was discontinued after poor sales. FIXI London was established for urban contemporary pulp fiction from Southeast Asia and ceased operations in January 2019. The publisher’s catalogue has also crossed into screen media. Pecah and KL Zombi were adapted into Malaysian films in 2013. Short stories from the limited-edition anthology Kopi were adapted into a collection of short films, while Nadia Khan’s Gantung became a television or streaming drama series in 2016. These adaptations helped bring the FIXI name beyond the book market and into Malaysia’s wider popular-culture landscape. Buku FIXI has combined publishing with direct retail and literary event activity. Its first flagship bookstore, Kedai Fixi, opened at Jaya Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya on 11 April 2015. The current flagship location identified in reference material is in Sunway Putra Mall, Kuala Lumpur, and another store opened in Setia Alam on 1 April 2021. Since 2017, the company has organised the biennial Sayembara Fixi Malay novel-writing contest, selecting six winning titles in each cycle when the programme was held. It also participated in international and regional literary promotion, including the London Book Fair, and produced limited journals and themed anthologies. Buku FIXI is therefore positioned as a culturally assertive independent publisher that combines commercial genre fiction with translation, archival recovery, experimentation, and author development.

Buku FIXI was founded in Malaysia in 2011 by filmmaker Amir Muhammad. Its creation followed Muhammad’s impression that Malay-language fiction recognised at a local awards event was overwhelmingly romance-oriented. He established the publisher to encourage a broader popular-literature ecosystem, particularly fiction dealing with urban life, crime, horror, social tension, speculative ideas, and other genres that were less prominent in the mainstream market. The label’s name comes from the Indonesian word fiksi, or fiction, and carries a deliberately ironic suggestion that novels are rarely wholly original. The first three books were Kougar by Shaz Johar, Cekik by Ridhwan Saidi, and Pecah by Khairunizam Bakeri. These early releases established the company’s interest in contemporary Malay fiction and became representative titles in its catalogue. The books were reprinted for the publisher’s tenth anniversary in 2021. Buku FIXI subsequently expanded its output to more than 200 books, including novels, short stories, anthologies, ebooks, trilogies, translations, graphic novels, and special editions. The company organised its publishing programme through a series of imprints. FIXI Novo was created for English-language fiction by Malaysian and regional writers. Its output included the KL Noir anthologies, place-based collections such as Love in Penang and Chronicles of KK, and the Southeast Asian thematic trilogy Heat, Flesh and Trash. It also published Little Basket, a literary journal featuring new Malaysian writing and visual work. FIXI Verso concentrated on Malay translations of international fiction and translated editions of works by Malaysian authors published abroad. Its catalogue included Malay versions of books by Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, John Green, Rainbow Rowell, Haruki Murakami, Dave Eggers, David Cronenberg, Felicia Yap, and Hanna Alkaf. FIXI Retro focused on the recovery or republication of older Malay works, including Sitora Harimau Jadian, Yang Nakal-Nakal, Hikayat Raja Babi, Perempuan Gusti Samseng Rumah Kosong, and Hikayat Nabi Yusuf. These projects connected contemporary independent publishing with Malaysia’s literary and cultural archive. FIXI Dwi experimented with editions presenting Romanised Malay and Jawi scripts, while Grafixi entered the graphic-novel market through licensed Malay translations of selected DC Comics works. Grafixi was discontinued after poor sales. FIXI London, launched to publish Southeast Asian urban pulp fiction, released books including Kings of Petaling Street and Uqasha before ending operations in January 2019. Buku FIXI also developed physical retail. Kedai Fixi opened at Jaya Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya on 11 April 2015. The publisher’s identified flagship subsequently operated at Sunway Putra Mall in Kuala Lumpur, and a Setia Alam branch opened on 1 April 2021. The company has maintained a presence at book fairs and literary events, including the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair and the London Book Fair. Several works associated with Buku FIXI moved into film and television. Pecah and KL Zombi were adapted into films in 2013. Stories from Kopi became a set of short films released on DVD, and Nadia Khan’s Gantung was adapted into a 2016 drama series distributed in Indonesia and Malaysia. Since 2017, the publisher has organised the biennial Sayembara Fixi Malay novel-writing contest, selecting six winning works per cycle when the programme proceeded. The 2019–2020 cycle was affected by the cancellation of the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its imprints, adaptations, retail activity, and competitions, Buku FIXI has combined independent publishing with genre-based commercial reach and literary-cultural experimentation.

• 2021

  Early titles are reprinted for the tenth anniversary

  [1]Buku FIXIen.wikipedia.org

  Kougar, Cekik, and Pecah receive anniversary reprints.

• 2019

  FIXI London ends operations

  [1]Buku FIXIen.wikipedia.org

  The imprint ceases operations on 8 January 2019.

• 2017

  Sayembara Fixi begins

  [1]Buku FIXIen.wikipedia.org

  The publisher starts its biennial Malay novel-writing competition.

• 2016

  Grafixi and FIXI London are introduced

  [1]Buku FIXIen.wikipedia.org

  Buku FIXI expands into graphic-novel translation and Southeast Asian urban fiction.

• 2015

  Kedai Fixi opens

  [1]Buku FIXIen.wikipedia.org

  The first Buku FIXI flagship bookstore opens at Jaya Shopping Centre in Petaling Jaya.

• 2013

  FIXI Novo launches

  [1]Buku FIXIen.wikipedia.org

  The imprint begins publishing Malaysian English-language fiction with Son Complex by Kris Williamson.

• 2012

  The limited-edition programme begins

  [1]Buku FIXIen.wikipedia.org

  Kopi becomes the first title in a series of limited-run novels and themed anthologies.

• 2011

  Buku FIXI is founded

  [1]Buku FIXIen.wikipedia.org

  Amir Muhammad establishes the Malaysian independent publisher to diversify contemporary Malay popular fiction.

An independent Malaysian publisher focused on contemporary urban fiction, genre experimentation, Malay literary diversification, translation, and culturally distinctive limited editions.

• Books · 2011

  Malay contemporary fiction

  Buku FIXI’s core catalogue consists of contemporary Malay-language novels, often using urban settings and genre frameworks such as crime, horror, pulp fiction, social drama, and speculative fiction. The programme was created to broaden popular Malay fiction beyond the romance-heavy range that its founder perceived in the market. Early titles included Kougar, Cekik, and Pecah.

• English-language fiction · 2013

  FIXI Novo

  FIXI Novo publishes English-language fiction by Malaysian and Southeast Asian writers. Its output has included novels, literary journals, and themed anthologies. The KL Noir books and collections organised around places such as Penang and Kota Kinabalu are representative of its interest in urban and regional voices.

• Translated fiction

  FIXI Verso

  FIXI Verso publishes Malay translations of established international fiction as well as Malay editions of books by Malaysian authors originally issued by overseas publishers. Its catalogue has included translations associated with Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, John Green, Rainbow Rowell, Haruki Murakami, Dave Eggers, David Cronenberg, Felicia Yap, and Hanna Alkaf.

• Reissued and archival books · 2012

  FIXI Retro

  FIXI Retro republishes older, out-of-print, or culturally significant Malay works. The imprint has included literary and popular texts, historical manuscripts transliterated from Jawi or Arabic script, and works associated with figures such as P. Ramlee and Usman Awang. Its purpose is to reconnect older writing with contemporary readers.

• Graphic novels · 2016

  Grafixi

  Grafixi was Buku FIXI’s graphic-novel imprint. It published Malay translations of selected DC Comics titles, including Batman and Superman: Public Enemies, Supergirl, and Suicide Squad: Kicked in the Teeth. The imprint was discontinued after poor sales.

• Bilingual-script books · 2019

  FIXI Dwi

  FIXI Dwi issued limited-run books using both Romanised Malay and Jawi scripts. Titles included Gothik Puaka Edan, Seloka Anak Rantau, and Syawal Tak Boleh Lewat. Each title was produced in a limited run and was not reprinted according to the referenced material.

• Bookstore · 2015

  Kedai Fixi

  Kedai Fixi is the publisher’s direct-retail bookstore concept. The first store opened in Petaling Jaya in 2015. A flagship location has been identified at Sunway Putra Mall in Kuala Lumpur, and another branch opened in Setia Alam in 2021.

• 2017Sayembara Fixi

  Malaysia

  A biennial Malay novel-writing competition created to discover and publish new fiction. Six winning titles were selected in each competition cycle described in the reference material.

  Outcome. Winning books were generally launched at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair. The 2019–2020 cycle was affected by the cancellation of the book fair during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Source
• 2016London Book Fair Southeast Asian fiction programme

  United Kingdom · Southeast Asia

  FIXI Novo presented the Heat, Flesh and Trash anthology project, featuring writers from seven countries and stories set in urban Southeast Asia, alongside the Little Basket literary journal.

  Outcome. The books were launched at the 45th London Book Fair.

  Source

• 2019

  End the FIXI London imprintStrategy

  Background

  FIXI London had been created to publish urban contemporary pulp fiction from Southeast Asia.

  Action taken

  The imprint ceased operations on 8 January 2019.

  Aftermath

  Buku FIXI continued its wider Malaysian publishing programme through other imprints and retail channels.

  Source

• 2016

  Expand into translated graphic novelsStrategy

  Background

  Buku FIXI sought to broaden its catalogue through a dedicated graphic-novel imprint and licensed international properties.

  Action taken

  It launched Grafixi and published Malay translations of selected DC Comics graphic novels.

  Aftermath

  Grafixi was discontinued the following year because of poor sales.

  Source

• 2011

  Create a publisher focused on broader Malay popular fictionStrategy

  Background

  Founder Amir Muhammad perceived a shortage of genre and urban diversity in the Malay-language fiction being recognised in Malaysia.

  Action taken

  Buku FIXI was established with a programme spanning contemporary Malay and English fiction and later expanded into translations, archival reissues, graphic novels, and limited editions.

  Aftermath

  The catalogue expanded to more than 200 books and developed multiple editorial imprints.

  Source

1. 1Buku FIXIen.wikipedia.org