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, including this story that was published by Wasafiri Magazine about landownership and lotteries, The Landless (free to read with academic subscription, or if you subscribe to my Substack!), or this one 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 Facebook | IG | Goodreads. Follow me for updates!
Latest Updates (June 2026)
Still working on the second novel!
In the meantime, if you want to read my short story The Landless, which is a spinoff from the novel, please do subscribe to my Substack, Novel Thoughts, to read for free. Link is in the welcome email.
You may not be able to get an ebook copy of We Could Not See The Stars at the moment. Please check back in a bit!
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Novel Thoughts
(and get a link to read The Landless for free!)
Cultural essays and other distractions as an outlet on when I get bored writing my novel.
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 March 2026: I am currently working on getting an ebook version available through Amazon again! Please check back! 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.