K. H. Lim

About

K. H. Lim is a Bruneian novelist and medical doctor, born and raised in Brunei. He attended medical school in the United Kingdom and qualified as a doctor in 2008. Alongside his medical career, he developed an interest in writing fiction, drawing inspiration from the culture, communities, and everyday life of his homeland. Lim’s debut novel, Written in Black (2014), is a darkly humorous coming-of-age story set in Brunei. Through the experiences of ten-year-old Jonathan Lee, the novel explores family relationships, grief, childhood, and the search for identity against the backdrop of a country rarely represented in international fiction. Lim’s writing introduces readers to Brunei’s distinctive social and cultural landscape, including the experiences of its Chinese community. He has lived and worked as a doctor in Singapore, balancing his professional medical career with his literary pursuits.

Books on TheBookRoads

All genres Contemporary Fiction Fiction

All themes Coming of Age

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Written in Black

Set in Brunei on the island of Borneo, Written in Black is a darkly humorous coming-of-age novel following ten-year-old Jonathan Lee, a boy from a Chinese family navigating grief, family conflict, and the uncertainties of childhood. As he prepares to attend his grandfather’s funeral, Jonathan is already struggling with his mother’s departure for Australia and his older brother’s expulsion from the family home. Frustrated by his father’s anger and desperate to understand what has happened to his family, Jonathan escapes the funeral wake inside an empty coffin. His impulsive decision leads him on an unexpected journey through Brunei, where he encounters teenage delinquents, eccentric strangers, mysterious places, and unfamiliar aspects of the country around him. Along the way, he hopes to find his estranged brother and uncover the truth about his absent mother. Blending comedy, adventure, and moments of sadness, the novel explores childhood vulnerability, family loyalty, and the search for belonging. Jonathan’s journey becomes an opportunity to discover courage and develop a deeper understanding of himself and the complicated adults in his life.

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Also from Brunei