Malaysian Author Hanna Alkaf’s The Girl And The Ghost Featured On Oprah’s Book Club
This recognition catapults Hanna Alkaf into the international spotlight, bringing Malaysian literature to a global audience.
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In a moment of immense pride for the Malaysian literary community, Hanna Alkaf’s novel The Girl and the Ghost has been featured as one of Oprah Winfrey’s five recommended books for middle school girls on her Instagram Book Club.
This recognition has catapulted Hanna into the international spotlight, bringing Malaysian literature to a global audience.
“Middle school is a notoriously awkward and challenging time in a girl’s life. Some may find solace and inspiration in stories about girls going through difficult situations and coming out the other end even stronger and wiser.”
Among the novels highlighted was Hanna’s The Girl and the Ghost, sitting proudly at number three on the list.
Hanna’s novel tells the story of Suraya, a young girl living in a Malaysian village who inherits a dark spirit, disguised as a grasshopper, from her late grandmother.
The book masterfully blends Malaysian folklore with universal themes of loneliness, family secrets, and self-discovery, creating a magical yet deeply relatable tale.
The novel has resonated with readers worldwide, earning its place alongside other courageous middle-grade protagonists.
Girls who enjoy magical characters and yet still want to engage with topics such as self-discovery and challenging relationships will find this book to be the perfect fit.
Oprah Daily
Hanna, overjoyed by the recognition, shared the book club’s Instagram post on her Twitter account, expressing her excitement.
In her tweet, she admitted she was in disbelief but happy nonetheless and jokingly declared that she would be writing in all caps for the rest of the day.
THERE’S A LINK, IT’S REAL, I MAY TALK IN CAPSLOCK ALL DAY TBHhttps://t.co/5qrKuEvF8A
— Hanna Alkaf (@hannaalkaf) September 9, 2024
This international nod from one of the world’s most influential figures is a significant achievement not only for Hanna but for Malaysian authors as a whole.
As Malaysia’s literary scene continues to grow, Hanna’s success on Winfrey’s platform shines a spotlight on the richness and diversity of stories emerging from the country, further solidifying its place on the global literary map.
What is Oprah’s Book Club?
Winfrey first introduced her book club in 1996 and it has since grown to become many readers’ go-to for book recommendations.
Winfrey’s aim was to connect readers around a community of fellow book lovers.
Who is Hanna Alkaf?
Hanna is a novelist who has been writing “authentically Malaysian stories”.
She is a journalism graduate who is now a full-time author and has won several awards for her novels.
In 2020, The Girl and the Ghost was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize.
Apart from writing books, you may remember her as one of the co-founders of the #KitaJagaKita movement which happened at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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