NIGHT OF A THOUSAND HELLS
Europa Editions
October 2026, pp. 384, Paperback
ISBN: 9798889662129
Translated by Stephen Epstein, Tiffany Tsao
A propulsive feminist gothic novel blending Indonesian folklore with Islamic mysticism; violence with complicity; care with harm, and familial love with the limits of sisterhood.
Three sisters.
A caretaker, a traveller, and a bride.
Mutiara and Maya find their lives irrevocably altered when their younger sister, Annisa, commits a devastating act.
What led Annisa to strap a bomb around her waist and blow herself up? As her surviving sisters grapple with grief, guilt, and unanswered questions, their search leads them to long-concealed secrets, forsaken family bonds, and the unsettling prophecies of their grandmother, whose enigmatic wisdom has shaped the destinies of women across generations.
Intan Paramaditha’s haunting new novel subversively blends Islamic mysticism, horror, and political reckoning, all seen through the ghostly lens of Indonesian folklore and occult traditions.
Review
"An unforgiving tale of political horror and womanhood by a writer that is fearless. Fascinating." ― Mariana Enriquez, author of The Dangers of Smoking in Bed
"Night of a Thousand Hells shows what it means to be a woman, and especially an Asian woman, in this fierce and relentless world. Paramaditha understands every glorious, perilous, bloody, unbearable, and stunning moment that comprises the million different facets of the brilliant entirety that is womanhood."
― Bora Chung, author of Cursed Bunny
"A rich, complex, ambitious and utterly compelling novel. I loved its skilful weaving of mysticism, the occult, the political and the deeply personal. It seizes you from the very beginning and pulses through you, long after you have finished reading, with a wild, dark force." ― Lucy Caldwell, author of These Days
"Night of a Thousand Hells is written from the heart; as moving and immersive as it is stylish and important - a story of women trying to survive, propelled by the equal forces of rage and love, all set against a brilliantly realised world of myths, faith and devastating politics. Spellbinding."
― Preti Taneja, author of We That Are Young and Aftermath
"This is a novel of enormous range and ambition, dazzling in its many perspectives. From the electric opening pages, the three sisters will keep you up all night. Unlike anything I've read in years."
― Mirza Waheed, author of The Collaborator
"Night of a Thousand Hells is full of natural lyricism and fascinating mythology. I loved watching how differently (and humanly) these sisters grappled with guilt, shame, and reconciliation."
― Nikkitha Bakshani, author of Ghost Chilli
"Night of a Thousand Hells is a rollercoaster of a book. Breathtaking and startling, with plenty of twists along the way, it will set your pulse and mind racing. Its narrators' voices are fresh and defiant, but its humanity is universal. An urgent interrogation of family, faith and freedom."
― Ann Morgan, author of Crossing Over
The author
Intan Paramaditha
Intan Paramaditha is an Indonesian author and a Harvard Radcliffe Fellow. Her story collection Apple and Knife is part of the Vintage Classics Weird Girls series, and her novel The Wandering was longlisted for the Stella Prize and received the English PEN Translates Award. She holds a Ph.D. from New York University and teaches at Macquarie University, Sydney. She is co-founder of the feminist collective Sekolah Pemikiran Perempuan.
Australia (Feb 2027)
Italy: La notte dei mille inferi (2026)
France: La Nuit des mille enfers (Jan 2027)