Malaysian author Vanessa Chan's 'The Storm We Made' longlisted for First Novel Prize

'It continues to surprise and humble me that a story about Malaysia, with its roots in my family, is continuing to be read in the US and around the world,' says Chan about her debut novel 'The Storm We Made'. Photo: The Star/Art Chen

Malaysian author Vanessa Chan’s debut novel, The Storm We Made, has been longlisted for The Center for Fiction (CFF) 2024 First Novel Prize.

“I’m honoured that The Storm We Made is nominated for this prize alongside other incredible and significant debut novels. It continues to surprise and humble me that a story about Malaysia, with its roots in my family, is continuing to be read in the US and around the world. I’m so grateful to the CFF judges and readers who read and considered my novel,” says Chan, who currently lives in New York.

The Storm We Made, released in January this year, is a gripping historical fiction novel set in pre-independence Malaya, weaving between two time periods: the years leading up to Japan's invasion and the end of World War II during the Japanese Occupation.

The story begins with Cecily Alcantara, the bored wife of a British colonial administrator in Kuala Lumpur, who becomes an unlikely ally of the Japanese forces. A decade later, her three children—Jujube, Abel, and Jasmin—must face the consequences of living under the brutal occupation.

Chan's 'The Storm We Made' is in the running for the The Center for Fiction (CFF) 2024 First Novel Prize in the US. Photo: Handout

Told from Cecily's and her children's perspectives, Chan draws inspiration from the harrowing tales shared by her paternal grandmother, who experienced the Japanese Occupation firsthand.

The Center for Fiction, a Brooklyn-based non-profit literary organisation, announced its longlist on July 31, featuring 25 titles selected by this year's panel of judges and over 100 readers from their diverse community of readers, writers, booksellers, and librarians.

Other novels on this year's longlist include Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar, Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel, The Red Grove by Tessa Fontaine and Anyone’s Ghost by August Thompson.

The First Novel Prize, first awarded in 2006, was created to honour the best debut fiction of the year (in the United States). The winner receives a US$15,000 (RM68,530) prize and each shortlisted author receives US$1,000 (RM4,570).

Every year, the longlist is announced in July, followed by the shortlist in September. In December, the shortlisted authors are celebrated at the First Novel Fete, while the winner is announced at the Annual Awards Benefit.