As we look forward to more literary exchanges in the ASEAN community, we might learn from ASEAN partners about how to raise awareness of Thai literary achievement overseas.

People who study statistics on which country’s books are translated into foreign languages report that by far, books from the ASEAN countries are the least translated, especially into English. That means that much of the world cannot appreciate the talents of Thai writers, or understand Thai life and culture. Part of the reason for the lack of translations is financial. Countries such as France, Switzerland, and Germany have active book agencies which help to pay for translations of their literatures into foreign languages. They also promote their writers, sending them on overseas tours and generally making their achievements better known on a world level. For now, the ASEAN country which has learned the most from this example is Vietnam, possibly because of its long cultural ties with France. Between now and 2016, half a dozen books by Vietnamese authors are scheduled to be published in Russia. By contrast, apparently only one book of Vietnamese fiction was published in translation in America in 2014, Nguyen Nhat Anh’s Ticket to Childhood. This book is not owned by the TU Libraries, but is available by interlibrary loan. Unlike Thailand, Burma, Laos, and Cambodia, Vietnam has made energetic attempts to improve this record. Vietnamese media report that from March 1 to 7, workshops were held in Hanoi about how to promote Vietnamese literature overseas.

An International Conference to Introduce Vietnamese Literature offered workshops where writers from other countries expressed opinions about Vietnamese literature and promised to make Vietnamese literary works better known in their own countries. Local authors and translators as well as over 150 international poets and translators from 43 countries and territories attended. The poet Nguyen Huu Thinh, chairman of the conference, noted that while Vietnam has made great efforts to translate world literature into Vietnamese – a project that is just beginning in Thailand – this has

resulted in a cultural trade deficit. While many foreign works have been brought to Vietnamese readers, foreign readers haven’t had a chance to enjoy Vietnamese literature as widely…I believe that when Vietnam wants to know about the world, the world also has a need to understand Vietnam.

Huu Thinh added: We aspire to be one of the world’s culture exchange partners on an equal basis, not a mere ‘consumer’ of the world’s tomes. The world is eager to learn about Vietnamese culture just as much as we are about theirs.

Le Ba Thu, a professional translator, suggested that one approach might be for the Vietnamese government to invite foreign students for study trips to Vietnam:

One day, among hundreds or thousands of foreign students, there will be someone who is interested in Vietnamese literature and naturally, they will read their favourite books to satisfy themselves firstly and then translate and introduce them to other people.

Bakhitkozha Rustemov, a writer from Kazakhstan, pointed out that for any such plan to work, it was necessary to have cooperation among governmental agencies and ministries. One Russian speaker praised a novel by the Vietnamese author To Hoai, Dao Hoang (Deserted Island), likening it to Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island, Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe, and Robert Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Yet To Hoai’s novel has apparently not been translated into English or Thai, and is not in the collection of the TU Libraries, even in the original Vietnamese edition. To improve matters, a Centre for Translation has been established in Vietnam to promote Vietnamese literature overseas.

The Thai Approach

Until now, Thailand has mostly relied on the work of a few dedicated farang who have labored as individuals to help promote Thai culture. David A. Smyth, currently teaching at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), a division of the University of London, lived in the Kingdom from the mid-1970s until the early 1980s, teaching English at Thammasat and Srinakharinwirot Universities. He still visits Thailand every couple of years, and has produced a series of translations of authors such as Chart Korbjitti, Manas Chitakasem, Surangkhanang, Dome Sukwong, and Siburapha. Some of these appeared from distinguished international publishers such as Oxford University Press. Yet they were produced as lone efforts, without organized support from Thai cultural agencies as a group.

ASEAN Literature and Thailand

As book lovers know, this year’s Asean Literary Festival is scheduled for March 15 to 22 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Hundreds of writers from 32 countries will attend the Southeast Asian Nations Literary Festival, including some Arab countries such as Egypt and Algeria. This will surely complement the S.E.A. Write Award (Southeast Asian Writers Award) presented annually since 1979 to poets and prose writers. The S.E.A. Write Awards are held in Bangkok, and over the years distinguished guest speakers have included Iris Murdoch, Gore Vidal, and William Golding. Each year a Thai writer is honoured among the others, yet since there is no systematic effort to translate and promote the winner’s works in English or other foreign languages. The acclaim soon dies down and the writer returns to obscurity. The 2014 Thailand S.E.A. Write Awardee was Dan-Arun Saengthong, for his Venom and Other Stories, although this work is not currently in the collection of the TU Libraries. Dan-Arun Saengthong, the pen name for Saneh Sangsuk, was born in Phetchaburi province and graduated from Srinakarintarawirote Prasarnmit University where he studied English Literature. A translator from English into Thai, Saneh has had a few stories translated into European languages. The 2013 winner from Thailand, the poet Angkarn Chanthathip from Khon Kaen, has a single volume in Thai language in the TU Libraries collection, but nothing in English. The 2012 honoree was Wipas Srithong, born in Phatthalung. Wipas’s novels Kon Krae (Dwarf) and Mah Hua Kon (Dog with Man’s Head) have received praise but remain untranslated and unrepresented in major library collections. The 2011 winner from Thailand, short story writer Jadet Kamjorndej won for his first book, Daed Chao Ron Kern Kwa Ja Nang Jib Kafae (The Morning Sun Is Too Hot to Sit Outside and Sip Coffee) which apparently is not in the TU Libraries collection. Jadet Kamjorndej is the pen name of Sathaporn Jorndit, a 36-year-old native of Surat Thani. For the next S.E.A. Write Awards, the deadline for submitting writings in Thai language is April 15. Perhaps future winners may hope for more wide celebration and acknowledgment of their achievements, including distribution of their books, acquisition by major libraries, and translations.

Other Ventures

In 2013, the Asia Pacific Writers’ and Translators’ annual gathering was held at Chulalongkorn University in conjunction with UNESCO’s Bangkok World Book Capital 2013 and the 35th South East Asian Writers’ Award. While such festivities are enjoyable for those who participate, it would be nice if something more concrete was produced from these efforts instead of just memories of a jolly get-together. The Thai Ministry of Culture announced in February that to help develop Thailand into an ASEAN cultural center, a meeting on ASEAN and Asian literature and culture will be held in Phuket between April 21 and 26. It is to be hoped that this will be an opportunity to discuss how concerted efforts in organization, funding, and promotion are essential for making Thai culture better known overseas and in the Kingdom.

(all images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons).