Suwanni Sukhontha

Suwanni Sukhontha
สุวรรณี สุคนธา
Born Suwanni Sukhonthiang
(สุวรรณี สุคนธ์เที่ยง)
1 March 1932
Phitsanulok, Thailand
Died 3 February 1984(1984-02-03) (aged 51)
Bangkok, Thailand
Pen name Suwanni Sukhontha
(สุวรรณี สุคนธา)
Occupation Government officer, writer, novelist
Language Thai
Education BFA
Alma mater Silpakorn University
Genre Drama, education, historical fiction, humour, political satire, realistic fiction, romance, scientific fiction, tragedy
Notable awards 1971 SEATO Literature Award
Spouse Tawee Nandakwang
(ทวี นันทขว้าง)
Children
  • Wongmueang Nandakwang (วงศ์เมือง นันทขว้าง) or Namphu (น้ำพุ)
  • Duangta Nandakwang (ดวงตา นันทขว้าง) or Kop (กบ), later changing her first name to Menat (เมนาท)[1]
  • and two other daughters

Literature portal

Suwanni Sukhontha (Thai: สุวรรณี สุคนธา) was the pen name of Suwanni Sukhonthiang (Thai: สุวรรณี สุคนธ์เที่ยง; 1 March 1932[2] – 3 February 1984[2]), a Thai writer and novelist. In 1971, she won the SEATO Literature Award,[3] the award which has been succeeded by the S.E.A. Write Award after the dissolution of SEATO.[4]

Life

Education and careers

Suwanni was born in Phitsanulok Province, Thailand. Her father, Yoi Sukhonthiang (ย้อย สุคนธ์เที่ยง), was a medical officer.[3] Her mother was Taeng-on Sukhonthiang (แตงอ่อน สุคนธ์เที่ยง). Suwanni had one elder sister.

She completed primary education at Phadung Nari–Kawi Phitthaya School (โรงเรียนผดุงนารี–กวีพิทยา) and secondary education at Chaloem Khwan Satri School (โรงเรียนเฉลิมขวัญสตรี) in Phitsanulok Province. She then studied at the Pohchang Academy of Arts (วิทยาลัยเพาะช่าง) in Bangkok for two years. Following that, she studied painting at the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University, and completed this bachelor's degree in 1951.

After graduation, she became a government officer, working as a government teacher at Bangkok's School of Arts for three years and as a lecturer at Silpakorn University in the 1950s.[3][5] She began writing novels in 1965. In that year, her first short story, Chot Mai Thueng Puk, was published in Siam Rath Weekly (SRW) and she started using the pen name "Suwanni". She later changed her pen name to "Suwanni Sukhontha" upon suggestion of Pramun Unhathup (ประมูล อุณหธูป), SRW editor-in-chief.

Her first novel, Sai Bo Yut Sane Hai, was published in Satri San (สตรีสาร; "Females' Journal") and met with jubilant welcome. She then resigned from the government post at Silpakorn University and became a full-time writer. She also started a female magazine called Lalana (ลลนา; "Girls") in 1972 and later became its editor-in-chief.[2]

Family

Suwanni married Tawee Nandakwang (ทวี นันทขว้าง; rtgs: Thawi Nantha-khwang), her fellow lecturer at Silpakorn University and a National Artist. The two had four children. Because of frequent quarrels, they later divorced.[1]

Following the divorce, Suwanni lived with her longtime friend, Sirisawat Phanthumasut (ศิริสวัสดิ์ พันธุมสุต). When Suwanni and Tawee divorced, one of their children, Duangta Nandakwang (ดวงตา นันทขว้าง; rtgs: Duangta Nantha-khwang) or Kop (กบ), was just born. The children were then sent to Chiang Mai Province to live with their grandparents.[1] The family discord also distanced Suwanni and her only son, Wongmueang Nandakwang (วงศ์เมือง นันทขว้าง; rtgs: Wongmueang Nantha-khwang) or Namphu (น้ำพุ), who saw his family as broken and resorted to narcotic drugs. Namphu died of narcotic drug overdose at the age of 18 in 1974.[6]

After the death of Namphu, Suwanni said she had frequently been asked how she could let her son be addicted to drugs and this question always rendered her speechless. Because of her son's death, she also blamed herself for being "incapable of raising a child".[6] Suwanni later adapted his story into a novel called Phra Chan Si Nam Ngoen as a lesson for other parents.[6] In its preface, she wrote:[6]

"When I kissed you for the last time, our tears blended together. I told you to rest in peace, my dear. From that day on, I live my spiritless life like a wind-up toy. Today, I have just learnt the greatness of the suffering of a mother."

The novel has been adapted into films and television dramas for many times. It also made the term "problem child" (เด็กมีปัญหา) popular in Thai society and called attention to family and drug problems.[7]

Death

Around 16:30 hours of 3 February 1984, Suwanni was stabbed to death by two young men on her way to a market in Bangkok. The two men, Khachin Sombun (คชินทร์ สมบูรณ์) and Phaithun Sawangphrai (ไพฑูรย์ สว่างไพร), were technical school students and were addicted to narcotic drugs. They wanted to steal her BMW car and seek some money to purchase drugs. Suwanni's dead body was found left in dense grasses behind Siam Park City and eight stab wounds were found on the body. The two students were arrested on 4 February 1984.[1][2][7][8]

Because of her death, Suwanni left the novel Wan Wan incomplete. Novelist Kritsana Asoksin (กฤษณา อโศกสิน) later completed it.[2]

Writings

Suwanni's works are well known for their realistic structure. She is noted for using a common but sarcastical language in her works, contrary to the style popular at that time. The characters she created are usually ordinary people and reflect the downsides of human beings. Suwanni is also renowned for profound understanding of female psyche and her use of "brush stroke" to create rich imagery.[3]

The following is an incomplete list of her works:

In popular culture

Many of her novels have been adapted into films and television dramas. These include:

In several television dramas, Suwanni was notably portrayed by Sinjai Plengpanich. Suwanni was also portrayed by Patravadi Mejudhon in the 1984 film adaption of Phra Chan Si Nam Ngoen.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 กบ เมนาท นันทขว้าง: "ทุกวันนี้พี่ไม่รู้แล้วว่าความทุกข์คืออะไร" [Kop Menat Nandakwang: "Today I don't know what sufferings are"] (in Thai). Inspiration. 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 สุวรรณี สุคนธา หญิงแกร่งแห่งลลนา [Suwanni Sukhontha, a strong woman of Lalana] (in Thai). Pakxe. n.d. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Jane Eldrige Miller, ed. (2001). Who's who in Contemporary Women's Writing. New York: Routledge. p. 311. ISBN 9780415159807.
  4. 1 2 その名はカーン [His Name was Kan] (in Japanese). Mekong. n.d. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  5. ↑ สุวรรณี สุคนธา [Suwanni Sukhontha] (in Thai). Goodreads. 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  6. 1 2 3 4 น้ำพุ [Namphu] (pdf) (in Thai). Flipbooksoft. n.d. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Charan Mantri (n.d.). แม่ของน้ำพุ... สุวรรณี สุคนธา [Namphu's Mother... Suwanni Sukhontha] (in Thai). Thai Writers' Network. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  8. 1 2 แม่และลูกใน "เรื่องของน้ำพุ" และ "พระจันทร์สีน้ำเงิน" ของแม่สุวรรณี สุคนธา [Mother and son in Story of Nam Phu and Once in a Blue Moon of a mother like Suwanni Sukhontha] (in Thai). Oknation. 2012-08-12. Retrieved 2013-12-26.
  9. ↑ เรื่องสั้นชุด สวนสัตว์ [A collection of short stories: The Zoo] (in Thai). Se-ed. 2013. Retrieved 2013-12-27.


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