9 books by Malaysian women authors

The young adult novel that arguably propelled author Hanna Alkaf to fame, The Weight of Our Sky is a poignant retelling of the 1969 Kuala Lumpur race riots through the eyes of a young Malay teen.

The compelling young adult novel follows the story of music-loving 16-year-old Melati Ahmad, who gets separated from her mother during the outbreak of violence, navigating her way back to her mother with the help of a Chinese boy named Vincent as she struggles to confront her own biases and overcome societal divisions.

Hanna’s latest young adult novel, The Hysterical Girls of St Bernadette’s, is set to come out in September 2024, exploring complicated relationships, trauma, and what it takes for girls to be believed—set against an incident of mass hysteria at an all-girls convent school.