Five Studies

This book presents five essays on the Thai folk epic, The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen. Someone reading these essays with the tale’s title disguised might find it hard to believe that all five are about the same single work.

That’s the opening sentence of our new book with five essays on KCKP.

Tables turned: under study

When you have spent a career analyzing other things and other people, it is slightly unnerving to become a subject of study. Our translation of KCKP is now the subject of a doctoral thesis in Translation Studies.

Sujit Wongthet and KCKP

In 2013, Sujit Wongthes wrote a series of articles in his regular column in Matichon Weekly on sepha, KCKP, and recitation. The series seems in part to have been provoked by us, but it is also a return to topics on which he has written three books and on which he has new information. The series, which began on 24 May 2013, and ended on 8 November, included 25 full-page articles.

Alfred Lord and KCKP

I had heard of Alfred Lord’s work on oral tradition, but did not get round to reading his famous The Singer of Tales until after we had finished and published the translation. I then found that Lord was very helpful in understanding the form of KCKP and its evolution.

Abridged version

When we published the original translation, several people complained that it was just too big for them to contemplate reading it. We decided we should do an abridged version. It took us some time to find the time, but the abridged version was eventually published in 2014.

Suphanburi Museum

In May 2012, an adapted version of the exhibition for our KCKP launch was installed in the National Museum in Suphanburi, the cradle of the poem. To launch the expedition, the museum held a whole-day event. I was asked to talk about “KCKP from the viewpoint of a foreigner.”

Acharn Choomsai

We have been to several academic events related to KCKP. They all have one thing in common: there is some serious academic stuff, and then there is some fun. I don’t think there is another Thai literary work where this rule holds true. One of such events marked the retirement of Acharn Choomsai Suwanchompu from a teaching career at Sipakorn University.

Exhibition at the Jim Thompson Gallery

For the launch, we had an exhibition at the Jim Thompson Gallery. We we’re grandly described as the “curators” of this rather lovely event.

KCKP and Tum Teav

Tum Teav is a classic Cambodian story. An English translation was published by George Chigas in 2005. There are many, many parallels with KCKP.

Wat Ko edition in Thai

In 2013, we published the Thai text of the Wat Ko edition of KCKP, including the Afterword, maps, and most of our footnotes from the English translation.