Debut Malaysian novel longlisted for the 2024 Dublin Literary Award

The Dublin Literary Award returns for another year and the longlist is out. Among the longlisted titles is Hades, Ipoh-based teacher Aishah Zainal's debut novel. Published by Gerakbudaya, it tells the story of Kei and his mother who move into a decaying low-cost flat and become neighbours to a young mother and her son.

"At its core, Hades is a tale of the underdogs – of those living in poverty and what it does to people, especially women," Aishah told local English daily The Star. She dedicated the book to her grandfather, who she said was also a writer whose works remain unpublished.

Also interviewed in The Star was Chong Ton Sin of Gerakbudaya, who thanked everyone involved in the book's production, as well as the National Library of Malaysia for nominating it for the prize. "As a socially conscious publishing house, we strive to highlight the stories and the narratives that have often been ignored by mainstream society."

Established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1994, the Dublin Literary Award is presented each year to a novel written or translated into English with the aim of promoting excellence in world literature. It is sponsored by the Dublin City Council in Ireland and at €100,000, the award is considered one of the biggest literary prizes in the world. If the book is a translation, the prize is split between the author (€75,000) and the translator (€25,000).

Public libraries in major cities worldwide nominate titles for the award. This year, 70 books have been nominated by 80 libraries from 35 countries. Among the titles are Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius, The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng, and Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2023 Women's Prize for Fiction. New Zealand novelist Catherine Chidgey has two titles in the longlist: Pet and The Axeman's Carnival.

The shortlist will be revealed on 26 March and the winner will be announced by the Lord Mayor of Dublin on 23 May as part of the International Literature Festival Dublin, which is also funded by the Dublin City Council.

This year's Dublin Literary Award longlist is also a tough crowd but we're rooting for Aishah and her book. Get it here and see if it has a shot at the prize.