What is NYU Shanghai Reads?
NYU Shanghai Reads is a program that brings the NYU Shanghai community together around a single common text chosen to spark intercultural dialogue among members of our diverse community. While serving as a key theme for first-year orientation, the whole university community is also welcome to participate through a series of events throughout the academic year.
We, the Survivors is a novel written by Tash Aw, a Malaysian Chinese author, that offers an intimate portrait of life across social, economic and ethnic divides in contemporary Malaysia. The story unfolds through Ah Hock's diary, which is a raw and reflective account of his journey from rural poverty to precarious urban work, and other difficult choices he makes along the way. Through Ah Hock's personal reflections, the novel examines prejudice, privilege, and the complex intersections of race, class, and migration in a multicultural society. Aw’s novel offers our community a foundation for critical conversations around equity, identity, and cross-cultural understanding, while challenging readers to consider the interplay between global systems and individual lives. Its complexity resists easy resolutions, encouraging the kind of thoughtful, respectful dialogue that enriches our community.
Accessing the Book via the NYU Shanghai Library
Locate the book in the NYU Shanghai Library here. You can read the eBook on your computer, phone, or tablet.
Prefer to listen to the book? You can also borrow the audiobook through the library.
Having trouble accessing the library? Contact the library by chat or email for help.