Kanokphong Songsomphan
Encyclopedia
Kanokphong Songsomphan was a Thai
writer. He was the winner of the S.E.A. Write Award
for Thailand in 1996 for his collection of short stories, Phaendin Uen (Another Land). His name is sometimes transliterated as Kanogpong Songsompuntu.
His other major work was Saphan Khard (The Broken Bridge), which was translated into Japanese
.
He published his first short story, Duj Tawan An Joedja (Like the Burning Sun), in Matichon Weekly. Several more short stories appeared in various magazines.
He attended Prince of Songkla University
, studying management science, but dropped out
to further develop his writing by travelling in the Luang mountains
and learning about the local cultures there.
In 1996, another short story, Lok Bai Lek Khong Salman (The Small World of Salman) also won the Karaked Laurel Award, making Kanokphong the first to win the award twice.
His second collection of short stories, Khon Bai Liang Diew (The Monocotyledon Man) was published in 1992.
Kanokphong's third collection, Phaendin Un (The Other Land) won the S.E.A. Write Award
in 1996. One of the stories, Maew Haeng Bukeh Krue Saw (The Cat of Bukeh Krue Saw) about a group of soldiers sent to protect a village, but tragedy occurs and the soldiers are forced to withdraw. Kanokphong said the collection was a summation of the conflicts in Southern Thailand
.
, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province
. He retreated from being active on the literary scene, but eventually issued his last collection of short stories, Loke Moon Rob Tua-eng (The World Revolves Around Itself).
Another book was forthcoming, but Kanokphong was in poor health. Fellow S.E.A. Write laureate Thanya Sanyapantanont said Kanokphong's working habits during this period were "an attempt at self immolation".
. He was discharged but later readmitted, where he succumbed to a severe lung infection. Funeral services were held at Wat Pikulthong in Phattalung.
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
writer. He was the winner of the S.E.A. Write Award
S.E.A. Write Award
The S.E.A. Write Award, or Southeast Asian Writers Award, is an award that has been presented annually since 1979 to poets and writers in Southeast Asia....
for Thailand in 1996 for his collection of short stories, Phaendin Uen (Another Land). His name is sometimes transliterated as Kanogpong Songsompuntu.
His other major work was Saphan Khard (The Broken Bridge), which was translated into Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
.
Early life, education
Kanokphong completed his primary education at Wat Pikulthong School and his secondary education at Phatthalung School. He published his first poem, Khwamjing Thee Pen Pai (The Truth That Is), at age 15 in a local newspaper. By age 18, he was one of the co-founders of the Nakhon Group, a local panel of academics and writers dedicated to conserving culture and literature in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The group evolved into a publishing company.He published his first short story, Duj Tawan An Joedja (Like the Burning Sun), in Matichon Weekly. Several more short stories appeared in various magazines.
He attended Prince of Songkla University
Prince of Songkla University
Prince of Songkla University was the first university in Southern Thailand, established in 1967. The name of the university was granted by His Majesty the King in honor of His Royal Highness Somdej Chao Fa Mahidol Adulyadej Kromma Luang Songkla Nakarin, the king's father.The university consists of...
, studying management science, but dropped out
Dropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
to further develop his writing by travelling in the Luang mountains
Nakhon Si Thammarat mountain range
The Nakhon Si Thammarat mountain range is a mountain range on the Malay peninsula in southern Thailand, running in a north-south direction. This mountain chain is also sometimes named Banthat mountain range , a name which is however also used to refer to the Chanthaburi mountain...
and learning about the local cultures there.
Collected works, awards
His first collection of poetry, Pa Namkhang (Forest of Dewdrops) was published in 1988. It was followed in 1989 by a collection of short stories, Saphan Khad (The Broken Bridge). It won the Karaked Laurel Award and was translated into Japanese in 1990.In 1996, another short story, Lok Bai Lek Khong Salman (The Small World of Salman) also won the Karaked Laurel Award, making Kanokphong the first to win the award twice.
His second collection of short stories, Khon Bai Liang Diew (The Monocotyledon Man) was published in 1992.
Kanokphong's third collection, Phaendin Un (The Other Land) won the S.E.A. Write Award
S.E.A. Write Award
The S.E.A. Write Award, or Southeast Asian Writers Award, is an award that has been presented annually since 1979 to poets and writers in Southeast Asia....
in 1996. One of the stories, Maew Haeng Bukeh Krue Saw (The Cat of Bukeh Krue Saw) about a group of soldiers sent to protect a village, but tragedy occurs and the soldiers are forced to withdraw. Kanokphong said the collection was a summation of the conflicts in Southern Thailand
Southern Thailand
Southern Thailand is a distinct region of Thailand, connected with the Central region by the narrow Kra Isthmus.-Geography:Southern Thailand is located on the Malay Peninsula, with an area around 70,713 km², bounded to the north by Kra Isthmus as the narrowest part of the peninsula. The...
.
Forest retreat
From 1996, Kanokphong lived in the "Valley of Rains and Forest" in Amphoe Phrom KhiriAmphoe Phrom Khiri
Phrom Khiri is a district of Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, southern Thailand.-History:On August 26, 1974 the minor district Phrom Khiri was formed with the three tambon Phrom Lok, Ban Ko and In Khiri split from Mueang Nakhon Si Thammarat district...
, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province
Nakhon Si Thammarat Province
Nakhon Si Thammarat is one of the southern provinces of Thailand, at the eastern shore of the Gulf of Thailand...
. He retreated from being active on the literary scene, but eventually issued his last collection of short stories, Loke Moon Rob Tua-eng (The World Revolves Around Itself).
Another book was forthcoming, but Kanokphong was in poor health. Fellow S.E.A. Write laureate Thanya Sanyapantanont said Kanokphong's working habits during this period were "an attempt at self immolation".
Death
In February 2006, Kanokphong was admitted to Nakharin Hospital for treatment of influenzaInfluenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
. He was discharged but later readmitted, where he succumbed to a severe lung infection. Funeral services were held at Wat Pikulthong in Phattalung.