15 Asian Authors to Celebrate

May is a month for celebrating Asian heritage and descent, so here are some 2022 debut authors to celebrate!​

The Circus Infinite by Khan Wong from Angry Robot Books on March 8, 2022 
​Hunted by those who want to study his gravity powers, Jes makes his way to the galaxy's infamous pleasure moon. But it doesn’t take long for him to catch the attention of the crime boss who owns the resort-casino where he lands a circus job, and finds himself faced with a choice: he makes an offer: do anything and everything asked of him, or face vivisection.  

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A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin from Feiwel & Friends on March 29, 2022 
When Ning accidentally poisons her mother, she enters a competition to save her sister from the same fate. But between the backstabbing competitors, bloody court politics, and a mysterious (and handsome) boy with a shocking secret, Ning might actually be the one in more danger.

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Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li from Tiny Rep Books/Dutton/PRH on April 5, 2022 
Ocean's Eleven meets The Farewell in Portrait of a Thief, a lush, lyrical heist novel inspired by the true story of Chinese art vanishing from Western museums; about diaspora, the colonization of art, and the complexity of the Chinese American identity.  

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Freddie vs. the Family Curse by Tracy Badua from Clarion on May 3, 2022 
In this thrilling and hilarious middle grade adventure, a young Filipino-American boy must team up with his ancestor to break the curse that’s haunted their family for generations. . . or be trapped in an amulet forever.  

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Lia Park and the Missing Jewel by Jenna Yoon from Aladdin / Simon & Schuster on May 3, 2022 
Perfect for fans of the Storm Runner and Aru Shah series, this thrilling middle grade fantasy follows a young girl who must venture to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King in Korea to save her parents from an evil diviner spirit. 

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Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation by Sylvia Liu from Razorbill/PRH on June 21, 2022
Perfect for fans of Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee, this thrilling, cinematic sci-fi novel follows Hana Hsu’s mission to save herself—and her friends—from a dangerous plot to control their minds.  

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Boys I Know by Anna Gracia from Peachtree Publishing/Peachtree Teen​ on July 5, 2022
A high school senior navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this bitingly funny and much-needed look into the overlap of Asian American identity and teen sexuality. 

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The Sleepless by Victor Manibo from Erewhon Books on August 2, 2022
In a near-future New York City where a minority of the population has lost the need for sleep, a journalist fights to uncover the truth behind his boss’s murder on the eve of a sinister corporate takeover—while his own Sleeplessness spirals out of control.  

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The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia from Tachyon Publication on August 9, 2022
In this intricately layered debut fantasy, a nonbinary refugee practitioner of blood magic discovers a strange disease causing political rifts in their new homeland. This moving, nuanced exploration of immigration, gender, healing, and family hearkens to fantasy classics such as the Broken Earth Trilogy, The Four Profound Weaves, and Who Fears Death.  

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Monsters Born and Made by Tanvi Berwah from Sourcebooks Fire on September 6, 2022 
"She grew up battling the monsters that live in the black seas, but it couldn't prepare her to face the cunning cruelty of the ruling elite. Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fable, this South Asian-inspired fantasy is a gripping debut about the power of the elite, the price of glory, and one girl's chance to change it all."  

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Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria by George Jreije from HarperCollins on October 4, 2022
Twelve-year-old Shad Hadid is an aspiring baker who’s life is uprooted when he discovers he’s descended from a long line of alchemists and sent to the mysterious Alexandria Academy. Only, his arrival at the school awakens a nefarious force long lurking in the shadows, and he’ll soon learn he holds the key to either stopping—or unleashing—their evil plot.  

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If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang from Inkyard/HarperCollins on October 11, 2022
In this genre-bending YA debut, a Chinese American girl monetizes her strange new invisibility powers by discovering and selling her wealthy classmates' most scandalous secrets.  

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The Blue Bar by Damyanti Biswas from Thomas & Mercer on October 25, 2022 
On the dark streets of Mumbai, the paths of a missing dancer, a serial killer, and an inspector with a haunted past converge in an evocative thriller about lost love and murderous obsession.

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Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win by Susan Azim Boyer from Wednesday/Macmillian on November 1, 2022 
Told with biting insight and fierce humor, Susan Azim Boyer's Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is a fresh, unforgettable story of one Iranian-American young woman’s experience navigating her identity, a budding romance, friendship, family, and her future, all set against life-changing historical events with present-day relevance.  

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The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim from Simon & Schuster Children's UK on January 3, 2023 
For fans of Sandhya Menon, Gloria Chao, and Jenny Han, THE LOVE MATCH is a young adult romantic comedy starring Zahra Khan, a Bangladeshi-American teenager who has to deal with growing feelings for two very different boys after her meddling widow mother decides to play matchmaker.  

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For more information on May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the United States, visit https://asianpacificheritage.gov/

Curated by: Tracy Badua
Posted by: ​Erin La Rosa