Q&A: Chetawan Thuaprakhone

November 14th, 2007

With his new book, A New God in the Villages of Day and Night, Chetawan “Che” Thuaprakhone won a Young Thai Artist Award for literature. Though he wrote nine out of the 10 short stories in this series during his time as a soldier, these stories reflect problems in Thai society such as consumerism and educational issues.

Can you tell us a bit about this book?

It’s a comment on consumerism, but if I tell it straightforwardly or academically it wouldn’t be fun, so I put it into a book. I think the special thing about it is the language and the way I told the story.

What’s the difference between your previous science fiction novel and this collection, which reflects society?

There’s a big difference. Though this series is told in a surreal style, it is concerned with the society and the life of people. On the other hand, my previous book has theories that I’ve come across like the multiple big bang, so you might say that writing science fiction requires more imagination.

When did you start writing?

I think it was when I was 14 or 15. I read a book and I felt that I could do it, too, so I started writing and doing my own illustrations. Anyway, I only got to the second or third chapter. I then found out that I don’t have enough vocabulary, so I read and read and started writing again in university.

Do you have any idols?

I don’t really have idols, but I do have favorite works, like Chart Kobjitti’s ability to explore the human mind. I also like Isaac Asimov.

Any tips on writing?

When I first started writing, sometimes I couldn’t finish my stories. I learned how to solve it: you have to write the whole thing all at once, then go back and edit.

If you were not a writer or a reporter, what would you be doing instead?

I can do only two things: writing and farming. My plan for the future is to do both. I would go back home and maybe I could fish and write at the same time, with chickens and ducks walking around my house.