Top 8 Books about Cambodia To Read Now
I went to Cambodia in 2025. Although it’s a cliché that people are friendly in the countries you go to, Cambodians are truly exceptionally friendly.
Cambodia is a beautiful country with some of the kindest people I have ever met. It was once the center of the powerful Khmer Empire, the civilization that built the temple complex of Angkor Wat.
And alongside that greatness, the country also carries a devastatingly recent history. From 1975 to 1979, under Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge killed an estimated two million Cambodians.
Although it makes complete sense to visit both Angkor Wat and the Killing Fields, the temples are stunning, and it is important to learn from the past and honor the stories of the victims. I also felt that most people come to Cambodia only for those two places. It is almost as if the country is defined solely by its past, with far less attention paid to the Cambodia of today, its food, its culture, and its incredibly kind people.
At the same time, despite the loss of a generation of artists, writers, and thinkers and the economic setback that followed, a new wave of Cambodian creators and leaders is emerging, with examples like artist Laura Mam’s record label pushing new Khmer music to new creative works like Afterparties.
On this page, while I include the historical stories that must be told, I also focus on the Cambodia of today and tomorrow. And I would love your tips on making it even better.
I’ve said this about Brazil before, and I think it’s the case for every country. The most horrific events inspire people to write and share their stories, to honor their lost family members and friends, process their emotions, and prevent it from happening again.
While Cambodia should not be reduced to the genocide under the Khmer Rouge, it’s impossible to ignore its impact on the country’s literature. The same is true elsewhere; a large share of the most important Dutch books and films revolve around the Second World War.
That’s why, among the top five books, three deal directly with the Khmer Rouge period, one is set before it, and one is a modern novel.
A sharp, funny, and deeply tender story collection about Cambodian American life in California. Anthony Veasna So blends queer identity, diaspora humor, and inherited trauma into stories that feel electric and painfully honest. I loved finding out about this book as it’s part of the new generation of Cambodian story-tellers.
As an intellectual who had worked for the overthrown government, Pin Yathay became an immediate target for the Khmer Rouge. He describes how Phnom Penh was evacuated under false pretences and how families were worked to exhaustion. As loved ones died one by one, he faced an impossible choice: stay with his young son and perish, or risk everything to flee to Thailand.
A lyrical novel based on Vaddey Ratner’s own childhood under the Khmer Rouge. Ratner was around eight years old during the regime, while the girl in “First They Killed My Father” was five. A Cambodian guide told me this difference may explain why her memories feel more detailed. The book is beautifully written and deeply poetic.
One of the earliest Cambodian novels translated into English, originally published in 1961 before the Khmer Rouge years. It follows rural life, tradition, and the tensions of a changing Cambodia. The book offers a rare pre-war window into everyday Khmer society.
A moving memoir of survival told through food. Chantha Nguon recounts her journey across Cambodia, Vietnam, and refugee camps, using the dishes she cooked and remembered as emotional anchors. A unique aspect of the book is the inclusion of recipes, which not only set it apart but also play a central role in driving the story forward.
As with books, many of the most internationally known Cambodian films focus on the devastating impact of the Khmer Rouge. Film, perhaps even more than literature, has played a key role in making this history visible to the outside world.
At the same time, it’s harder to find lighter or contemporary Cambodian films that are widely available with English subtitles. I’ve included two more playful, modern titles to balance this list, and I’m very open to recommendations.
Probably the most widely known film about the Cambodian genocide on Netflix. It’s based on the memoir of Loung Ung, who was just five when the Khmer Rouge took over. Angelina Jolie, who has an adopted Cambodian son, directed the adaptation and kept the story fully from a Cambodian child’s perspective.
Based on the true story of journalist Dith Pran, it follows his struggle to survive the Khmer Rouge after helping expose the regime’s brutality. The film balances Western reporting with Cambodian lived experience, showing friendship, terror, and endurance. The actor who played Pran, Haing S. Ngor, was himself a genocide survivor and later decided to write his own story in A Cambodian Odyssey.
Cambodia’s big breakout action film, set almost entirely inside a prison after a riot erupts. A police escort mission collapses into chaos as gangs take over the facility. With tight choreography, playful humor, and nonstop fight sequences, it introduced Cambodian martial arts to a wider audience and became a modern cult favorite.
A coming-of-age drama set in Phnom Penh’s flashy new development zones. It follows Bora, a rural teenager working construction, who reconnects with his mysterious older brother. The film blends neon visuals with themes of aspiration, loneliness, and rapid urban change, capturing the dreams and disillusionment of Cambodia’s younger generation.
A decade-long documentary following Suon, an ex–Khmer Rouge soldier recruited and indoctrinated at 14. The film tracks his slow, painful process of confronting trauma, shaped by friendship, honesty, and purpose. It’s a rare, nuanced portrait of someone who was both victim and perpetrator.
If there’s one musician you absolutely need to know, it’s Sinn Sisamouth. Famous for his smooth voice and genre-blending songwriting in the ’60s and ’70s, he’s often called the “Elvis of Cambodia” in the West.
But like many countries, Cambodia also had a psychedelic rock wave in the late 60s and early 70s. It entered the country through US Armed Forces Radio, American soldiers passing through Phnom Penh during the Vietnam War, and local shop owners who started importing UK and US rock records to meet the rising demand. Cambodian musicians picked it up fast and fused it with Khmer melodies, creating that distinctive psychedelic vibe. The most famous album is Cambodian Soul Sounds (below).
If you’re looking for modern music, you can’t miss VannDa. This rapper is one of the hottest names in Cambodia right now, part of Baramey Production, the label founded by American-Cambodian artist Laura Mam. I love her music and her mission to revitalize Cambodian culture through the arts and music, and to uplift Cambodian pride on a global scale.
If you want to discover more, check out the playlist below!
I went to Cambodia in 2025. Although it’s a cliché that people are friendly in the countries you go to, Cambodians are truly exceptionally friendly.
