Shwe U Daung (24 October 1889—10 August 1973) was a Burmese writer, translator and editor. He is known for creating the character "Detective U San Shar," considered the Burmese equivalent of Sherlock Holmes. He received many awards including the
Sarpay Beikman
Sarpay Beikman ( my, စာပေဗိမာန်; ) originated as the Burmese Translation Society. Its first President was Prime Minister U Nu, who started a Burmese translation job at Judson College (now University of Yangon). The purpose was ...
awards.
Early life and education
Shwe U Daung was born Pe Thein on 24 October 1889 in the
Shwebo District
Shwebo District is a district in south-central Sagaing Division of Burma (Myanmar).British Burma (now
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
). His father, U Ayar, was a British citizen, and his mother was Daw Shwe. He was the third of five siblings. Shwe U Daung attended the Buddhist School in Mandalay and later transferred to the Monastery of Mandalay and ABM school. In 1908, after passing the entrance exam at the
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta (informally known as Calcutta University; CU) is a public collegiate state university in India, located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Considered one of best state research university all over India every year, ...
, he worked as a teacher at the Mandalay Buddhist school and the ABM school.
Career
On 8 November 1915, his first novel ''Yan Gyi Aung'' was published. His second novel ''Yadanapon'', which was written by the request of Thura U Ba Bay, was inspired by Ellen Wood's novel ''
East Lynne
''East Lynne'' is an English sensation novel of 1861 by Ellen Wood, writing as Mrs Henry Wood. A Victorian best-seller, it is remembered chiefly for its elaborate and implausible plot, centring on infidelity and double identities. There have ...
''. Having published two novels, Shwe U Daung became the editor of ''Thuriya'' magazine. It was at this time that he was given the pen name ''Shwe U Daung''. While working as an editor in ''Thuriya'', Shwe U Daung collaborated with a friend and jointly published the first issue of'' Myanmar Strategic Journal''. In 1920, he left the ''Thuriya'' magazine.
Shwe U Daung died on 10 August 1973.
Published books
*''Shwe U Daung'', 1953
*''Yadanabon'', 1953 (novel)
*''Detective U San Shar'', 1961
*''Yupa Kalayar Ni'', 1961
Legacy
The
Ludu Library
The Ludu Library and Archive () is a public library and newspaper archive in Letsekan quarter, Chanayethazan Township, Mandalay, Myanmar. Construction began in 2000, and the library was formally founded in 2004 by the family of Ludu U Hla and D ...
in Mandalay houses a complete collection of Shwe U Daung's works.