WIPAS SRITHONG

Anative of Phatthalung, Wipas Srithong had a medical training before becoming a writer. It paid off when he won the SEA Write in 2012 with his novel Kon Khrae ( Dwarf), a dark novel that explores the web of human relationships.

This year his new book makes it onto the shortlist again. Long Lob Leum Soon ( Vanishing) openly criticises while also seeks an escape from the confusing, modern contemporary world. Pakorn and Wit are the two protagonists whose disappointing journey reveals the fact that the only way to get out of the maze is, as the title suggests, to vanish. Is the SEA Write Award still as significant as it once was? Our reading culture is still weak so it is merely a rough measurement for mainstream popularity. The standards are inconsistent but there is no other award as legitimate as this one in our country.

Why should people read your book? The novel does not only challenge the old perception but also criticises current contemporary society’s obsession and addiction to social media and smartphones. How did you feel the moment you finished writing the first sentence of this book? Did you know you had a book in you? The first sentence is always mixed with fear and courage. I was hesitant because I never know when I am ready. What did you read while you were writing this book? I read The Land Of Green Plums by Herta Müller, Sevastopol and other various novellas by Tolstoy, As I Lay Dying by Faulkner, and my own novel Dwarf to avoid repetition and self-plagiarism. I read beautiful prose because it can speak to us and lift our minds allowing us to transfer those beautiful conversations onto a blank piece of paper. Any Thai or international writers you’d recommend? I’d like to recommend Tom McCarthy, Pu Kradat, and many other authors, especially Ngao Jan (Moon Shadow).

— Aree Iam-Aoran