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- The Weight Of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf. A riveting tale of history, mental illness, humanity, and action, Hanna Alkaf’s debut novel is about a 16-year-old Malaysian girl suffering from OCD who goes on a harrowing quest brimming with chaos and violence, to reunite with her mother in the midst of the 1969 racial riots in Kuala Lumpur.
- The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo. The New York Times bestselling author of The Ghost Bride, which was recently adapted to a Netflix film, Yangsze Choo is gracing our reading list again with another of her famous dark fantasy stories.
- Though I Get Home by YZ Chin. Though I Get Home is a collection of interconnected fictional stories focusing on different characters tied together by Isabella Sin, a Malaysian small-town girl.
- We, The Survivors by Tash Aw. Notable Malaysian author, Tash Aw of The Harmony Silk Factory, returns to the literary scene with his newest crime thriller.
Nov 16, 2017 · Malaysian writers have stepped up into the literature scene, and are loved by readers and critics. They emphasize sharing stories related to history, culture and modern society. Here are the best Malaysian books to read to understand the country a little better.
- Best Malaysian Novels
- Best Books of Malaysian Short Stories
- Best Non-Fiction Books on Malaysia
The Soul of Malaya
By Henri Fauconnier, Editions Didier Millet, 2015 Before Malaysia, there was “Malaya”: a land of tigers, lush tropical vegetation enveloping as far as the eye could see, and… foreign planters. “The Soul of Malaya“, originally published in 1930, tells the experiences of two French planters who lived in Malaya between 1905 and 1914, and 1919 to 1925, and a world of yore inhabited by various strange Englishmen running plantations in colonial Malaya. Winner of the French Prix Goncourt in 1930 — i...
The Malayan Trilogy
By Anthony Burgess, Penguin Books, 1996 Few know that the author of seminal “A Clockwork Orange” lived as an English teacher in Kuala Kangsar, former British Empire, in the 1950s. Burgess loved Malaya, and his life experiences have been vividly painted in a series of three novels, “A Long Day Wanes” (1956), “The Enemy in the Blanket” (1958) and “Beds in the East”(1959). The three novels are a comic rendition of decolonisation in Malaya — and Burgess’ life — following the stories of Victor Cra...
The Return
By K.S. Maniam, Skoob Books, 1994 While we still mourn his recent death, “The Return” is K.S. Maniam’s masterpiece. It tells about the story of young Ravi as he sees the country transitioning from colony to Independence in 1957. This book is greatly focused on the experiences of Indian migrants to Malaysia between the 1940s and 1960s, and Ravi’s struggle for identity and improving his family conditions — most likely, an autobiographical account.
Ronggeng-Ronggeng: Malaysian Short Stories
By Malachi Edwin Vethamani (ed.), Maya Press, 2019 A really good collection of 28 stories covering 60 years from the 1950s to the present, and edited by Malachi Edwin Vethamani. These Malaysian stories span decades of Malaysia’s development and come from the skilful pens of Malaysian writers such as Lee Kok Liang, KS Maniam, Shirley Geok-Lin Lim, Tunku Halim and Saras Manickam. Different genres, from comedy to supernatural horror, and different perspectives that truly encapsulate the kaleidos...
Telltale Food: Writings from the Fay Khoo Award 2017–2019
By Bettina Chua Abdullah (ed.), Hikayat, 2019. This interesting anthology of food writing — mainly from Malaysia, but with contributions from around the world— collects the best entries from two years of the Fay Khoo Awardfor food writing. There’s a bit of everything that intersects life with food: food for thought, food for the Gods and for friends, all told from the kitchens, alleys and restaurants tables of Malaysia. Yummy, to say the least. BUY THE BOOK: Penang Bookshelf
Lake Like a Mirror
By Ho Sok Fong, Granta, 2019 A really interesting short-story collection – lots of weirdness – translated from Chinese, from an author described by critics like “the most accomplished Malaysian writer, full stop”. “Lake like a Mirror” is an exploration into the lives of Malaysian women buffeted by powers beyond their control, whose lives become twisted in disturbing ways. From naked sleepwalkers in a rehabilitation centre for wayward Muslims, gossip in unlicensed hairdressers, and mysterious...
With such a convoluted history and political scene, Malaysia makes for very interesting non-fiction — because at best, Malaysian life and society are really stranger than fiction. If you want to get a deeper understanding of Malaysia, one that goes beyond the mere “travelling”, then you better dive into some of this essential literature. Here is a ...
- Tan Twan Eng, The Gift Of Rain (2007) Born in Penang and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Tan Twan Eng is a widely-celebrated Malaysian novelist who graduated as a lawyer before he became a full-fledged writer.
- Hanna Alkaf, The Weight Of Our Sky (2019) Young adult fantasy is quite a rare breed in the local literary scene. After all, a genre that blends teenage romance, supernatural elements, and dystopian backdrops isn’t the easiest one to write in – especially with a target group of young readers.
- Zen Cho, Sorcerer To The Crown (2015) Best known for her British Fantasy Award-winning Sorcerer To The Crown series, Zen Cho is a Birmingham-based author with a deft talent of weaving complex storylines in the captivating world of nuanced interpersonal relationships.
- Yangsze Choo, The Ghost Bride (2013) The brilliant author behind The New York Times best-selling novel The Ghost Bride (2013), Yangsze Choo needs no introduction in the Malaysian literary scene.
- The Accidental Malay by Karina Robles Bahrin. The Accidental Malay by Karina Robles Bahrin tells the story of Jasmine Leong, a billion-ringgit bak kwa company heir in line to become its next CEO.
- The Girl and the Ghost by Hanna Alkaf. The Girl and the Ghost by Hannal Alkaf follows the story of Suraya who inherits a pelesit (a spirit familiar usually in the form of a grasshopper) from her late witch grandmother.
- The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds by Selina Siak Chin Yoke. Set in the Malayan colonial era, The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds by Selina Siak Chin Yoke tells the story of Malayan-Chinese girl, Chye Hoon, who has to embrace her Nyonya heritage and let go of her dreams to go to school like her brother.
- The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo. Now a Netflix adaptation, The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo is a story set in the colonial Malaya era, where the main character, Li Lan, is suddenly asked by her father to be a ghost bride to a wealthy family's deceased son.
Sep 21, 2020 · There are numerous talented writers all over the world and Malaysia is not excluded from having its creative writers. From poetry to short stories and full-length novels, our celebrated Malaysian writers have published award-winning works that you should give a read! 1. Tash Aw
Jan 2, 2021 · These may all seem like very disparate topics, but they are all united by one theme. They are all pandemic-era stories in The Lockdown Chronicles, an anthology of 19 fictional works in Malaysia.
