The last of our lists covering Asia (if only because with the remaining regions we’d probably struggle to get 30 books), today we’ve got for you 30 books by Southeast Asian authors. I’m kind of running out of things to say in this introduction, since it’s much the same as previous posts: we haven’t read all of them, so it’s more a collection, than a rec list. So yeah. Enjoy.
As before, we’re using flags to mark a country of origin (where possible) and a separate emoji (🏹) to mark if the author is a diaspora author.
And once again, briefly, some links to the series so far: Black, African & Caribbean lit, East Asian lit, West Asian lit, South Asian lit, Latine lit, Indigenous lit, religion in lit, and neurodiversity & disability in lit.
And more links! Indonesian lit (primarily in Indonesian), Malaysian lit, Singaporean lit (and also here), and variously here.
The Never Tilting World by Rin Chupeco (sapphic mcs) 🇵🇭
Lion City by Ng Yi-Sheng (gay & lesbian mcs) 🇸🇬
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho (lesbian mc) 🇲🇾
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (nonbinary mc, sapphic mcs) 🇻🇳 🏹
In the Vanishers’ Palace by Aliette de Bodard (sapphic mcs) 🇻🇳 🏹
The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang (achillean mc, nonbinary characters) 🇸🇬
The Umbrella Country by Bino A. Realuyo (gay mc) 🇵🇭 🏹
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (gay mc) 🇻🇳 🏹
This Way to the Sugar by Hieu Minh Nguyen (poetry) 🇻🇳 🏹
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (gay mc) 🇻🇳 🏹
Flamer by Mike Curato (gay mc) 🇵🇭 🏹
Letters to Montgomery Clift by Noel Alumit (gay mc) 🇵🇭
Peculiar Chris by Johann S. Lee (gay mc) 🇸🇬
The All-Consuming World by Cassandra Khaw (sapphic mcs, genderfluid mc, nonbinary mc) 🇲🇾
Gentlemen Prefer Asians: Tales of Gay Indonesians by Yuska Lutfi Tuanakotta (essays) 🇮🇩
Supernova: The Knight, the Princess and the Falling Star by Dewi Lestari, trans. by Harry Aveling (gay mcs) 🇮🇩
The Book of Salt by Monique Truong (gay mc, sapphic characters) 🇻🇳
Women Loving ed. by Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz (sapphic mcs) 🇵🇭
The Politics of Love in Myanmar by Lynette J. Chua (nonfiction) 🇲🇲
Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So (lgbt cast) 🇰🇭 🏹
Boyfriend by Suong Mak (gay mcs) 🇰🇭
Smile As They Bow by Nu Nu Yi, trans. by Alfred Birnbaum & Thi Thi Aye (gay mcs) 🇲🇲
My Imaginary Boyfriend by Patrick Rangsimant, trans. by Thapana Pr. (gay mcs) 🇹🇭
Glass Cathedral by Andrew Koh (gay mc) 🇸🇬
Body 2 Body: A Malaysian Queer Anthology ed. by Jerome Kugan & Pang Khee Teik (lgbt cast) 🇲🇾
How the Man in Green Saved Pahang, and Possibly the World by Joshua Kam (achillean mcs, sapphic mcs) 🇲🇾
I Will Survive ed. by Leow Yangfa (essays) 🇸🇬
The Mouse Marathon by Ovidia Yu (sapphic mc) 🇸🇬
Sergius Seeks Bacchus by Norman Erikson Pasaribu, trans. by Tiffany Tsao (poetry) 🇮🇩
When the Chant Comes by Kay Ulunday Barrett (poetry) 🇵🇭 🏹
