The Accidental Malay

A sharply observed, elegantly crafted culture-clash state-of-the-nation drama that is not only witty but heartfelt. – Epigram Book Fiction Prize Judges
Desire, religion and politics collide in this delicious debut … Slick, sharp and full of the frustrations and joys of modern urban Malaysia – Tash Aw, author of We, The Survivors
A deeply nuanced study in the sometimes suffocating intertwining of race and religion for Malay-Muslims. – Suffian Hakim, author of Harris bin Potter and the Stoned Philosopher
A novel both generous and scathing … a fast-paced, character-driven, furious and yet somehow joyful exploration of Malay ethnoreligious supremacy – Preeta Samarasan, author of Evening is the Whole Day
Braving the intersections and contradictions of race, class and gender, one woman’s private campaign for self- definition becomes a search for love amidst corporate manoeuvrings, familial pressures and the challenging complexities of her country’s cultural politics. – Cyril Wong, author of This Side of Heaven
Stylish, trenchant, yet brimming with heart, The Accidental Malay captures the complexities of contemporary Malaysia with wit and grace – Kirstin Chen, New York Times bestselling author of Counterfeit

Karina Robles Bahrin got her first break as a writer when she guest-edited a weekly teen column in The New Straits Times a very long time ago. Her short fiction has been published in Urban Odysseys: KL Stories, KL Noir: Blue, A Subtle Degree of Restraint & Other Stories and Malaysian Tales: Retold & Remixed. She currently lives and works on the island of Langkawi where she runs a hotel, restaurant, farm and community initiative promoting storytelling among the island’s youth and children. The Accidental Malay is her first novel.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.