{"product_id":"the-accidental-malay","title":"The Accidental Malay","description":"\u003cul class=\"tabs\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003eDescription\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePraise\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBook Trailer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"tabs-content\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"active\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/files\/The_Accidental_Malay_Sample.pdf?v=1660195664\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLook inside the book\u003c\/a\u003e   |   \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bookfies.com\/ebook\/893\/the-accidental-malay\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet the e-book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWinner of the 2022 Epigram Books Fiction Prize\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003eJasmine Leong wants to be the next CEO of Phoenix, her family's billion-ringgit company known especially for its bak kwa. But when Jasmine discovers she is actually a Malay Muslim, her newfound identity threatens to upend her life and ambitions. Set in Kuala Lumpur and other areas of Malaysia, \u003cem\u003eThe Accidental Malay\u003c\/em\u003e examines the human cost of a country's racial policies, and paints a portrait of a woman unwilling to accept the fate history has designated for her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Desire, religion and politics collide in this delicious début by Karina Robles Bahrin. Slick, sharp and full of the frustrations and joys of modern urban Malaysia, \u003cem\u003eThe Accidental Malay\u003c\/em\u003e is a joy to read.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e—Tash Aw, celebrated author of \u003cem\u003eWe, The Survivors\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An intriguing story, beautifully paced, centred around the many complications of love in Malaysia. Its truths will be controversial but there’s no denying Karina’s storytelling talent. A very enjoyable read.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e—Marina Mahathir, writer and activist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Delightfully transgressive, \u003cem\u003eThe Accidental Malay\u003c\/em\u003e is a deeply nuanced study in the sometimes suffocating intertwining of race and religion for Malay-Muslims. Part comedy of errors and part social drama, this novel adds to the slowly burgeoning but altogether necessary postcolonial body of works on Malay people by Malay people. For regional readers, it needs to be on your must-read list to better understand thy neighbour. For international readers, it's a worthy read on race and identity.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e—Suffian Hakim, bestselling author of \u003cem\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/epigrambookshop.xyz\/products\/harris-bin-potter-and-the-stoned-philosopher\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eHarris bin Potter and the Stoned Philosopher\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/epigrambookshop.xyz\/collections\/authors\/products\/the-keepers-of-stories\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Keepers of Stories\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A sharply observed, elegantly crafted culture-clash state-of-the-nation drama that is not only witty but heartfelt.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Amir Muhammad, author, filmmaker, publisher at Buku Fixi and EBFP 2022 judge\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A novel both generous and scathing; both honest and nuanced; both grounded in human emotion and engaged with history and politics. Most of all, \u003cem\u003eThe Accidental Malay\u003c\/em\u003e is both entertaining and important, a fast-paced, character-driven, furious and yet somehow joyful exploration of Malay ethnoreligious supremacy in Malaysia and its effect on real people's lives.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Preeta Samarasan, author of \u003cem\u003eEvening Is the Whole Day\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"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.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Cyril Wong, poet, fictionist and author of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/epigrambookshop.xyz\/products\/this-side-of-heaven\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis Side of Heaven\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"They say to never equate a writer to his or her book, as they are two separate things, but \u003cem\u003eThe Accidental Malay\u003c\/em\u003e has Karina's gumption and bravado. This is a novel that is truthful, humorous, sharp and yet is an ode to Malaysia's political circus. Read this book and prepare to get angry, laugh and hoot at the outrageousness.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Dina Zaman, writer and co-founder of IMAN Research\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #404040;\"\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jD9S1bIWi2g\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKarina Robles Bahrin\u003c\/strong\u003e got her first break as a writer when she guest edited a weekly teen column in \u003cem\u003eThe New Straits Times\u003c\/em\u003e a very long time ago. Her short fiction has been published in venues such as \u003cem\u003eUrban Odysseys: KL Stories\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eKL Noir: Blue, A Subtle Degree of Restraint \u0026amp; Other Stories\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eMalaysian Tales: Retold \u0026amp; Remixed\u003c\/em\u003e. She is a former columnist with \u003cem\u003eThe Heat\u003c\/em\u003e, a weekly by Focus Malaysia. She currently lives and works on the island of Langkawi, Malaysia. \u003cem\u003eThe Accidental Malay\u003c\/em\u003e is her first novel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Epigram Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39848753299569,"sku":"9789814984676","price":26.9,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0550\/0041\/products\/TheAccidentalMalay_CVRGB.jpg?v=1658379822","url":"https:\/\/epigrambookshop.xyz\/products\/the-accidental-malay","provider":"Epigram","version":"1.0","type":"link"}