8 Internationally-acclaimed Malaysian authors to know

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Tan Twan Eng
Tan Twan Eng is a Penang-born former intellectual property lawyer turned author, and definitely a major name to know in Malaysia's literary scene. His debut novel The Gift of Rain, written while he was pursuing his Master's degree in Law, was long-listed for the prestigious Man Booker Prize in 2007.
His second novel, The Garden of Evening Mists, made history by actually edging out Turkish author and Nobel Prize in Literature 2016 recipient Orhan Pamuk, to become the first Malaysian to win the prestigious Man Asian Literary Prize.
Photo: Getty Images
2/8
Tash Aw
Tash Aw, without doubt, is one of the most decorated Malaysian authors, having swept numerous internationally coveted literary accolades.
His debut novel, The Harmony Silk Factory, was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize, International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the Guardian First Book Prize. The novel, which has since been translated into over 20 languages, was awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Whitbread First Novel Award. His other novel, the Five Star Billionaire, earned this literary talent his second Man Booker Prize nomination.
Photo: Tash Aw
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Dina Zaman
Dina Zaman, the recipient of the British High Commissioner Chevening Award in 1998 and the Nippon Foundation's Asian Public Intellectual Fellowship in 2012, is a regular columnist in Malaysia.
Her short stories collection, King of the Sea, actually took her 13 years to complete and was borne of her homesickness for her hometown of Terengganu while she was pursuing her Master's at Lancaster University in 1993. The thirteen years invested in the book paid off however - it was long-listed for the Frank O' Connor Short Story Award in 2012.
Photo: Dina Zaman
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Steven Steel
At just 18 years of age, this Penang-born young author edged out 75,000 entries worth of competition to win the 2015 Wattys Award for Best Use of Visuals for his science fiction novel, Someone's In My Head.
Photo: Steven Steel - Facebook
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Rani Manicka
Rani Manicka made history and Malaysia proud by being the first Malaysian (let alone Malaysian woman) to win the Commonwealth Writers Prize for South East Asia and South Pacific Region in 2003, with her debut novel The Rice Mother.
The novel, which draws upon her own Sri Lankan roots and family history, is a vivid tale that speaks of the vulnerability of human nature, family and the far-reaching impact of war.
Photo: Rani Manicka - Facebook
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Heidi Shamsuddin
Heidi Shamsuddin, a former lawyer turned children's book author, won the coveted regional prize for the Eye Level Children's Literature Competition in 2012, with her short story Johan the Bee Hunter.
However, she has not always set out to write children's fiction. Although she had always written for both adults and children, it was only eventually that she found herself naturally gravitating towards children's fiction. Following her literary prize win in 2012, Heidi completed her Door Under the Stars series.
Photo: Heidi Shamsuddin
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Malim Ghozali PK
Malim Ghozali PK has been nominated this year for the International Dublin Literary Award 2016 for his novel Tree of Novel, originally written and published in Malay under the title Luka Nering.
Malim is definitely no stranger to the local and regional literary scene - he has won numerous accolades for his works, like the ESSO-GAPENA Literary Prize and two Malaysian Literary Prizes.
Photo: Malim Ghozali PK - Facebook
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Nazehran Jose Ahmad
Kelantanese Nazehran Jose Ahmad is the other Malaysian nominee for the International Dublin Literary Award 2016 this year, besides Malim Ghozali PK. His self-published book, The Michelangelo Code, was translated from Malay and has been long-listed for the abovementioned literary award. Nazehran has more than 10 years of writing experience and eight published novels and children's books to his name.
Photo: Nazehran Jose Ahmad - Facebook

When you think of Southeast Asian literature, Malaysian authors may not immediately jump to mind. While we might be familiar with fellow Asian contemporary authors, like Man Booker Prize winner and Indian-born author Arundhati Roy, we remain blissfully unaware of the international recognition our homegrown Malaysian writers have achieved in recent years.

In 2012, Malaysian novelist Tan Twan Eng was shortlisted for the coveted Man Booker Prize and won the Man Asian Literary Prize in 2013, edging out stiff competition like Nobel Prize in Literature winner Orhan Pamuk. If anything, Tan’s success in the global literary scene has shone a spotlight on the best of Malaysian fiction writing. Tan is not the only Malaysian author to have received international acclaim, however. Just this year, multiple award-winning writer Malim Ghozali was nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award 2016, along the ranks of much-loved prolific writers like Paulo Coelho and Haruki Murakami.

Get acquainted with 8 of our internationally-recognised homegrown authors in our gallery above, who are all making waves in the international literary scene in their own right and clinching prestigious awards. Proving that Malaysia is ripe with literary finesse and creative capacity, these are definitely names to know and watch.

Sarah Khan

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