timeless fiction from asian authors
east & south east asian literary fiction beyond murakami.
timeless modern classics – 20th century onwards – exploring universal themes like identity, morality and society.
these books capture elements of the uniquely beautiful symbolism, tones and rhythms that characterise asian languages and culture.
very much open to recs for expansion. (one book per author, typically their most renowned)
created by animalese
last updated February, 2026
Comments
this list is very close to my heart, please share recs!
Great list, Asian literature has something poetic indeed. I do have a few recs: From India: Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara, Racists by Kunal Basu, Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai, Q&A (also know as Slumdog Millionaire) by Vikas Swarup and The Mango Season by Amulya Malladi (originally in English all) and It Does Not Die by Maitreyi Devi (originally in Bengali). From Japan: Millie's Marvelous Hat by Satoshi Kitamura (originally in English), Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima (in Japanese), i can also recommend Nabe no naka by Kiyoko Murata and Shojokakei by Akira Yoshimura - but I dont think that have been translated into English. And if you are interested in manga, I can add a few more titles. From South Korea: Princess Bari by Hwang Sok-yong, The Court Dancer by Kyung-Sook Shin, Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo (all in Korean) From North Korea: Accusation by Bandi (Korean) From China: The Lost Daughter of Happiness by Geling Yan (Chinese) and Peach Blossom Pavilion by Mingmei Yip. If you want to go more West Asia as well let me know :)
thanks so much for the recs! i’ll check these out. btw this list is specifically on east/southeast asian litfic so that’s why it doesn’t cover the many amazing authors from india :)
I bookmarked this so fast!! 😍
one potential addition: Eileen Chang, who was extremely popular in the mid-1900s and clearly and unflinchingly portrayed society in China at that time. I enjoyed Half a Lifelong Romance but either Love in a Fallen City or Lust, Caution might be her more famous books!
thank you, this looks perfect – added!
note: I've included A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro over his later, much more famous works as it fits the criteria of this list better, being partially set in Nagasaki and exploring the cultural differences between Japan and England.
