Gerakbudaya has launched a new imprint called Cherita Books, which wants to move fiction from being seen as entertainment to something that changes how readers the world.

The publishing house was already in the fiction business–such as with the Dublin-longlisted Hades–with works previously released under the titular Gerakbudaya imprint.

Now, its titles will be organised into three imprints—the titular Gerakbudaya for accessible history, politics and social science nonfiction titles, Strategic Information and Research Development Centre (SIRD) for more academic works, and Cherita for Malay and English fiction.

Cherita opens with its debut offering Langit Membara by Mahizan Husain, a work of historical fiction that imagines a colonial Penang beset by a brutal gang war between the Bendera Merah and Bendera Putih factions. Also on the horizon is Haniff Yusoff’s short story collection, Rumah di Dalam pasu Bunga.

The imprint is also on the hunt for manuscripts in both Malay and English.