Southeast Asia has many capable female authors who go global by achieving many prestigious international awards. From historical fiction to migrant literature, their works offer new insights and perspectives on each country’s color, culture, and history. Ready to dive into their works? Here’s the list!
The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan
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Vanessa Chan is a Malaysian author who made a remarkable achievement with her debut novel in 2024, The Storm We Made. The book became a Good Morning America Book Club pick, a BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick, and a New York Times Editors’ Choice. It is also internationally recognized as the best book by the Amazon and Goodreads.
Set around the Japanese occupation in Malaysia, the novel tells the story of a mother who works as a spy for the Japanese and her efforts to save her family. The book draws inspiration from real history, as told by Vanessa Chan’s grandmother. Its strong appeal made the book longlisted for the Center for Fiction 2024 First Novel Prize in America.
The Sea Speaks His Name by Leila S. Chudori
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Leila S. Chudori is one of the most prominent senior writers from Indonesia. Her works often deal with the theme of resistance against violence, blending history and fiction, as seen in her famous work The Sea Speaks His Name (2017). The novel won the Southeast Asian Writers Award in 2020.
The book tells the story of Biru Laut, whose name also means “sea” in English, a college student and activist during the historical moment of New Order 1998 in Indonesia. The novel was written by interviewing several witnesses of the New Order. It can be read in the English version published by Penguin Random House SEA.
The Mountains Sing by Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
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Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai has proudly marked an international achievement for her debut novel titled The Mountains Sing (2020). The novel won international awards, such as the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award and International Book Awards. The book has been translated into over twenty languages worldwide.
The novel is set during the Vietnam war, telling the story of a multigenerational family that was forced to flee their home. This novel draws inspiration from real background of the Vietnam war that shows the sides from the Vietnamese people's perspectives. This work was praised by the New York Times to be one of its editors’ choices.
America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo
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Elaine Castillo is a Filipino-American writer whose debut novel America Is Not the Heart (2018) received international recognition. It was the finalist for the Elle Big Book Award, the Center for Fiction Prize, and the Aspen Words Literary Prize. The book was also named one of the best books in 2018 by The New York Post and Kirkus Reviews.
Her novel tells the story of a Filipino immigrant woman starting her new life in the United States. The book delves with many themes, like immigration, self-identity, family, and also queer experiences. A little fun fact, this novel also contains some references to the novel America Is in the Heart by Carlos Bulosan.
Throughout their books, female Southeast Asian authors convey powerful messages about social issues, history, and resistance against violence. Their works have gained significant international recognitions, a definite proof that books from Southeast Asia are just as great as others in the world.
