Nou Hach ( km, នូ ហាច, ; 26 June 1916 1975) was a Cambodian author, perhaps best known for his novel, '' Phka Sropoun''. He was born in

Battambang Battambang ( km, បាត់ដំបង, UNGEGN: ) is the capital of Battambang Province and the third largest city in Cambodia. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is the leading rice-producing province of the coun ...

, and died during the Khmer Rouge

regime In politics, a regime (also "régime") is the form of government or the set of rules, cultural or social norms, etc. that regulate the operation of a government or institution and its interactions with society. According to Yale professor Juan Jo ...

Early life and education

Hach was born to a farming family in Kampong Preah Commune, Sangkae District, Battambang Province,

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...

. He was the first child of his family. He studied at Wat Kampong Preah Primary School and could read ''sastra sloek roet'' (), a kind of Khmer book made from leaves, very fluently. In 1932, he passed the entrance exam at Preah Sisovath High School in Phnom Penh. He was very studious and hardworking, and graduated successfully.

Career

After graduation, he work as a jude in Siem Reap. In 1947, he became a publisher for Kampuchea Newspaper in the Ministry of information. Then he became the assistant of the prime minister Yutavong (យុត្តិវង្ស) in 1948. After that, he returned to the Ministry of Information and worked as the head of the department. In 1952, he worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as Director in Directorate of Political Affairs (Director en Direction des Affaires Politiques). As Director, he was sent to have commission in Thailand, Yugoslavia and so on. Due to his good work, he was appointed as the Cambodian representative to Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as a special representative at

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

. In 1952, King Norodom Sihanouk appointed him as the secretary of Ministry of Public Works and Communication by Royal Decree 252. On January 17, 1958, he became a member of the Khmer Writer Association, created by

Rim Kin Rim Kin ( km, រីម គីន; 8 November 1911–28 January 1959) was a Cambodian writer, and one of the founders of Cambodian modern literature. He was the author of '' Sophat'' ( km, សូផាត, 1938), the first published novel in ...

in 1954, according to Neak Nipun Khmer Magazine Year 2, Number 3, February 1996 Page 3.

Personal life

Nou Hach married Tan Rem and had 8 children. Some of his children currently live in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

and Australia. He was killed by the Khmer Rouge in 1975.

Literary career and selected works

His best-known novel is ''Phka Sropoun''. He also wrote numerous poems in French. In addition, he contributed to many magazines, such as Reatrey Thngai Sao Magazine, Neary Magazine, and Roum Mitt Magazine. His other works include:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nou, Hach Cambodian male writers 20th-century Cambodian writers 1916 births 1975 deaths