Thank you for visiting! I’m Elizabeth Wong, Malaysian author and geologist. I grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and currently move between KL and London.
I am interested in stories of Malaysia and also of this large world we live in — deserts, seas and rocks. Read more about me, or see read several of my short stories for free, like this story about the car dystopia that is Kuala Lumpur (Baby+ With A Car Like Wolverine’s Claws), and this one about lost chances (All Lonely Roads Lead to Old Sembahnang).
My debut novel We Could Not See The Stars was published by John Murray Press/ Hachette UK. Here’s an interview by Emily Ding of Movable Worlds on the fishing village I had visited for research, and how long it took me to write it (spoiler: ten+ years). Also, if you have enjoyed the novel, please consider leaving a review in Goodreads or Amazon. Reviews really help!
I’ve also started recording my process of writing (or not writing) my second novel on my Substack Novel Thoughts newsletter. I am also sporadically on Bluesky and Facebook. Follow me for updates!
Latest Updates (May 2025)
I have a new short story, The Landless, published by the excellent Wasafiri Magazine, and it has been made free to read for all of May. The Landless is a companion short story to the novel I am currently working on.
Wasafiri says: “. . . writer and geologist Elizabeth Wong‘s ecofiction explores privilege and passing, climate degradation, and the tenuous status of not ‘refugees’ or ‘migrants’, but the ‘landless’ — all against the backdrop of an elite hotel in Monte Carlo.”
You may not be able to get an ebook copy of We Could Not See The Stars at the moment. Please check back in two weeks!
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Novel Thoughts
A newsletter/ accountability journal of my process of writing (or not writing) Novel 2 and various other writing things.
We Could Not See The Stars is a first novel by Elizabeth Wong
To discover the truth about his mother, Han must leave his village and venture to faraway islands which hold the answer to a long-held secret.
A literary speculative novel of memory loss, migration, identity, and an incredible journey across seas and deserts. Set in a fictional Malaysia.
Published by John Murray Press (a Hachette UK company).
Longlisted for the Bath Novel Award and the Lucy Cavendish Prize.
We Could Not See The Stars is now available to buy from:
Update as of May 2025: I am currently working on getting an ebook version available through Amazon again! Please check back in a few weeks! The paperback version can still be found at Waterstones.
If you are not ready to get a copy, add to Goodreads.
Or subscribe to my newsletter to get notified of release updates.
