Three books that put you in the Maldives. Two are by writers from the Maldives and set there: Dhon Hiyala and Ali Fulhu and Radio Man. The other is a wider pick, by someone who knows the place well.
Very little Maldivian writing has been translated into English. Dhivehi, the national language, has its own script, Thaana, which is written from right to left. For centuries the islands' stories travelled by word of mouth between the atolls rather than in print. The sea and fishing run through most of them.
Abdulla Sadiq's Dhon Hiyala and Ali Fulhu (1976) retells the islands' best-known love story, in which two lovers face magic, rival suitors and strict custom. Ibrahim Waheed's Radio Man is set in a Malé household with an old Philips valve radio, and follows how life in the capital changed from the 1960s to the 1980s. Folk Tales of the Maldives was gathered by Xavier Romero-Frias, a Spanish writer who lived in the islands for many years, and brings together spirits, seafaring and humour from across the atolls.
A Maldivian romance fable about the lovers Dhon Hiyala and Ali Fulhu, who face magic, rival suitors and the customs of their island society.
A nostalgic story that follows an old Philips valve radio in a Malé household, showing how daily life, family routines and culture in the capital changed from the 1960s to the 1980s.
By long-time residents and outsiders who know the place well, or folk tales, poetry and history with a strong feel for the Maldives.
“Find a copy” goes to Bookshop.org. If you buy, we earn a small commission and independent bookshops get a share too.
Island stories collected across the atolls, showing older Maldivian beliefs, spirits, seafaring life and humour, with context on the oral tradition.
Afghanistan Armenia Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Brunei Cambodia China Georgia India Indonesia Iran Iraq Israel Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lebanon Malaysia Mongolia Myanmar Nepal North Korea Oman Pakistan Palestine Philippines Qatar Saudi Arabia Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Vietnam Yemen