A rising star for 2009

A rising star of the Khmer literary world

Miss Nuon Pich Sodanny in her home office in Pailin.

Khmer Sthapana newspaper
2nd March, 2009
Reported in English by Khmerization

The Khmer literary community has struggled to survive after it suffered a dramatic decline over the last 30 years due in part to the civil wars and the ever-increasing popularity of pop culture brought on by televisions and karaoke videos. But one young writer from Pailin is out to change all of that.

Miss Nuon Pich Sodanny, alias Baksei Sor (White Bird), a young novelist from Pailin who has written many best-sellers at her tender age of 18, vowed to be on par with Cambodia's past famous novelists such as Mr. Nou Hach, Mr. Nhok Them and the now-famed novelist, Ms. Mao Samnang who has an alias of the "Rabit Author".

Miss Sodanny said that she started reading novels since she was in year three. By the time she was in year nine, she had published her first novel which is the best-seller. By the tender of 18, she had published 4 novels which were all best-sellers from bookstores in many cities and provinces.

Her first novel, The Star That Rises During The Day, was published in December, 2006. Three more novels, The Island Of The birth Of My Love, The Shadow Of Love Near The Fires Of Grudges and The Rivals Of Hearts, were all published in March 2008 while she was still a year-12 student at Hun Sen High School in Krong Tep Nimitr.

During an interview at the headquarter of the Nou Hach Writers Association of the Buddhist Institute in Phnom Penh, Miss Sodanny told Khmer Sthapana newspaper that she wants to be an economist and a fulltime writer in the future. She is planning to enrol in economics course at The University of Cambodia in Phnom Penh.

She said that, even though she is actively pursuing her literary career, she never neglect her studies. This is evidenced by the fact that she had always attained first place in her grade every year since primary to high schools.

Miss Sodanny told Khmer Sthapana that, after the publications of her novels, she had always received messages of supports from her readers from every province. She said: "After my novels were published, many of my readers from Battambang, Siem Reap, Prey Veng and Kampong Cham telephoned to congratulate me and urged me to write more novels." She added " in the future, even if I have a good and stable job, I will still continue to write novels."

Miss. Sodanny said that, at present, the Khmer literary market is very small and no writer can make a living from their writings. Even then, she said that she is not deterred. She said that, even though the readership is presently very low among Khmer people which due largely to the popularity of televisions, she will continue her passion of writings.

She said that her writing is her number one passion and said that she will continue her passion no matter what because she has been encouraged by the huge supports from her readers as well her long wish to help in the promotion of Khmer literature.