Coffee with Jadet

Jadet Kamjorndej recalls feeling restless the night before the announcement of Thailand's SEA Write Award. So restless, in fact, that he rose early the following morning and drove from his hometown in Surat Thani province to Khao Lak, hoping a couple of days by the sea would calm him down. As the minutes edged forward to 2pm, the time of the award announcement, he thought his heart might burst with excitement.

The minute he knew that his first book, "Daed Chao Ron Kern Kwa Ja Nang Jib Kafae" (The Morning Sun Is Too Hot to Sit Outside and Sip Coffee) had won this year's award, he turned the car around and headed to the airport to catch a flight to Bangkok.

Printed by Pajonphai Publishing, his book is a compilation of 12 short stories each written in an innovative and experimental style. The approach is rather abstract and the language satirically mocks Thailand's often dysfunctional society. However, the stories have a philosophical bent and explore human nature, challenging readers to look beyond the words and re-examine the society they live in.

In its announcement, the judging committee said the short stories inspired readers to develop a fresh perspective on life and that this was meaningful and worth studying.

For the 36-year-old cartoonist, painter and writer born Sathaporn Jorradit, the award is validation of a career path he's often had cause to doubt.

As a kid, Jadet enjoyed reading Bt1 comic books and he dreamed of being a cartoonist. The cartoons drew him to books and during his school years, he preferred spending time in the library to running in the playground with the other boys. Fortunately, Kanchanadit School's library was well stocked: Jadet read Ernest Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" and grew very fond of the tale.

"I loved reading but I still wanted to be a cartoonist," he recalls.

While studying at Nakhon Si Thammarat College of Arts and Handicrafts, he was introduced to poet and cartoonist Direk Sikaew who had recently opened a shop in town.

During his final year in college, Jadet worked as a trainee in Direk's shop and perfected his illustration techniques. Direk was impressed and aware of Jadet's dreams, sent samples of his work to his former employer, the publisher Sam Dao. More than 10 of his works were published but soon Jadet found himself losing interest in cartoons.

"With comics, you have to find a story too. And if you can't find a story, you have to read books. I read tons of literature and the more I read, the more addicted I became to books. I ended up buying books more than comics."

After college, Jadet headed to Bangkok planning to study at Poh Chang, Rajamangala Institute of Technology, a well-known campus for the arts, but discovered he was more interested in telling stories through words than pictures.

"I was motivated by the songs of [southern songs-for-life band] Maleejuana and the late SEA Write winner Kanokpong Songsompan's book, 'Sapan Khad' (The Broken Bridge). I had plenty of ideas but nothing tangible.

"I followed in Direk's footsteps and met writers like Kasem Jandam, Thach Thada and Kanokpong. Obviously, just introducing myself as a new writer wasn't enough. I needed to have some work so they could give me some advice.

"And when I did give them my first work, they said 'it's no good'," he recalls with a laugh. "That made me want to improve! I had to keep writing so I'd have a reason to go back to Kasem's house."

In 2002, his work "Chad Gao Chan" ("Nine-Tiered Umbrella") was published in Siam Rath's "Chao Krung 2000" column to harsh reviews.

"I was upset and depressed and didn't write at all for two years. Then, at the end of 2004, I lost my niece in the tsunami. I had to walk through thousands of bodies to find my niece and at that point I realised that death is not really far from us. Then I started writing again."

Jadet moved to Samui to work as a full-time painter and writer. His short story "Hanuman Yeab Muang" was published in Chor Karaket and won the Thailand Indy Award 2008. His joy was short lived, as another work "Mae Tab Tai Laew", also published in Chor Karaket, sparked a furious debate among readers and netizens. The harsh comments scared him off writing again for a while, before he started on the stories that finally won him the Southeast Asian Writers Award.

"My editor, Siriworn Kaewkan, told me it's normal for people to criticise and that I shouldn't get upset. I believed him and started writing again."

"'Daed Chao Ron Kern Kwa Ja Nang Jib Kafae' is adapted from a short story named 'Fun' ('Dream'), which I sent to some magazines but was rejected. When I found a new situation that seemed to fit this old story, I rewrote it.

"It's still set in a coffeeshop and essentially it's about how other people's sorrow and suffering make us feel uncomfortable. That's why the morning sunlight is too hot to enjoy a cup of coffee."

While he's switched from drawing to writing, Jadet still retains a little of the cartoon mentality in his work.

"Fun is the heart of cartoon. When I start writing, I always think how to make it fun. I cannot explain the meaning of fun, but writing is like painting. There has to be concept and component. To make my work more colourful, I try to add something new into my writing, maybe by looking at the event another way and then adding emotions into it."

For many writers, winning the SEA Write award may signify a landmark in their careers: For Jadet, it's just the beginning.

"For me, the SEA Write is both my highest success and the beginning. It's the beginning of my career as a professional writer," he says thoughtfully.

WINNING WORDS

Tanatat Kongthong, lecturer at the Thai Chamber of Commerce University, chaired this year's panel of judges, which was comprised of seven academics including two magazine editors.

The other six finalists were Fah Poolvoralak, Pichedsak Popayak, Anusorn Tipayanon, Rewat Panpita, Jakkapan Kangwan and Want Yuangkaeo.

SEA Write Week runs from November 4 to 8. It includes a poetry reading on November 5 at 6pm at Suan Pakkad Palace on Sri Ayutthaya Road. The award ceremony is on November 7 at the Oriental Hotel and a talk on "Literature in Southeast Asia" by Singaporean SEA Write winner Edward Thumboo is at 2pm on November 8 at Chulalongkorn University.