KYAW ZWA

KYAW ZWA
  • Asia
  • South-Eastern Asia
  • Burma
Burmese

KYAW ZWA (Burma b. 1946, Mandalay) through more than twenty novels has made Burmese history and Buddhist culture come alive for Burma’s younger generations. His novelization of the “Ramayana”—in which the villain Dasigiri becomes the protagonist—is regarded as a classic. Chit Oo Nyo (U Kyaw Zwa’s pen name) is working on a novel about an 18th century member of the Royal Court, U Po Hlain, a figure known for his radical ideas. U Kyaw Zwa is participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.

Happening Now

  • Congratulations to our colleagues Jennifer Croft and Aron Aji, who are among those serving as judges for the National Book Awards this year, in their case in the category of translated literature.

  • Ranjit Hoskote’s speech at the 2024 Goa Literary Festival addresses the current situation in Gaza.

  • In NY Times, Bina Shah worries about the state of Pakistani—and American—democracy.

  • “I went to [Ayodhya] to think about what it means to be an Indian and a Hindu... ”  A new essay by critic and novelist Chandrahas Choudhury.

  • In the January 2024 iteration of the French/English non-fiction site Frictions, T J Benson writes about “Riding Afrobeats Across the World.” Also new, a next installment in the bilingual series featuring work by students from Paris VIII’s Creative Writing program and the University of Iowa’s NFW program.

Find Us Online