Wanna Sawatsi (born 1943) is a Thai writer, writing under the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Sidaoruang. The daughter of a railway worker and a market vendor, she was born Wanna Thappanon in

Phitsanulok Phitsanulok ( th, พิษณุโลก, ) is an important, historic city in lower northern Thailand and is the capital of Phitsanulok Province. Phitsanulok is home to Naresuan University and Pibulsongkram Rajabhat University, as well as ...

province. She was unable to complete her schooling because of her family's financial problems and went to work in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

at the age of twelve. Between 1973 and 1976, she wrote a series of short stories about the lives of the poor and underprivileged in Thai society; her stories played an important role in the development of the Thai Wannakam Puea Chevit (Literature For Life) genre. In 1983, a collection of these stories was published as ''Kaew Yode Deow'' (A Drop of Glass). Later collections of stories by Sidaoruang are ''Matsi'' (1987) and ''Mae Salue'' (1993) which deal more with issues related to gender. Her work has been translated into English, French, German, Danish, Portuguese and Japanese. She is married to

Suchart Sawatsi Suchart Sawatsi ( th, สุชาติ สวัสดิ์ศรี; born June 24, 1945) is a Thai editor and writer. He has been described as "the single most influential figure in the contemporary Thai literary world". The son of Sae Sawa ...

, a prominent Thai editor, writer and artist.

References

1943 births Living people 20th-century Thai writers 20th-century Thai women writers Thai short story writers Thai women short story writers 20th-century pseudonymous writers Pseudonymous women writers People from Phitsanulok province {{Thailand-writer-stub