Huknee Nilundon by Ms Thiphakeson Douangchack from the University of Health Sciences took out the Sinxay Literature Award for Novel during a presentation ceremony at the National Culture Hall last Friday.
In other categories, Mr Sengchan Soukkasem’s Phaeng Yang won the Sinxay Literature Award for Short Story while Champalao Padupxaath by Mr Xaykham Champa-outhoum won the Poem category.
The winners of each category in the literary awards received 4 million kip, a trophy and certificates to attest to their success.
The awards also included six congratulation prizes of 500,000 kip to the best new entrants in each category.
This year’s competition attracted not only established Lao writers but also students and monks.
Ms Thiphakeson Douangchack said she greatly appreciated winning this year after becoming a writer in 2011 and sending her short stories for publication in the Vientiane Mainewspaper.
Her novel Huknee Nilundon is a love story between the character Wayor, an actor, and a medical student which she said would be suitable for making into a TV drama. But she lamented the lack of a drama scriptwriters’ school.
She also submitted three short stories for this year’s literary awards: Malisorn , about the beauty of Lao sinh , Aath Saisamphanthyboraath Khobkhong about a Lao woman working in Thailand who gets pregnant, and Neua Khua Khuamhak Lae Phoukphun .
The prolific author said it took over 20 days to write her longer pieces while a short story took only two days.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Mr Bouangeun Xaphouvong said the awards gave writers the chance to showcase their work while promoting the reading of Lao literature.
The Sinxay Literature Awards are jointly organised by Vannasin magazine, the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, and the Lao Writers Association.
The competition was open from March 16 until September 30 with a total of 205 works submitted consisting of 84 short stories, 112 poems and 9 novels.
The judging panel scored all the entries on their content, creative ideas, writing style, and language before announcing the winners.
Source: Vientiane Times
