In this post, I had the honor to interview one of the best historical literature authors in Thailand Pongsorn Bhumiwat (Pup). It was about 15 years ago when Pup wrote his first science fiction novel Lamnam Hok Piphob (Chronicle Of Six Earths) that he won the 2006 Young Thai Artist Award for it. After that, he chose to spend time writing blogs on ancient mythology and travel.
Pongsorn Bhumiwat in the middle
Sawadee ka, Khun Pongsorn, could you introduce yourself a bit?
Sure. My name is Pongsorn Bhumiwat you can call me Pup. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political sciences from Chulalongkorn University. I also have a master's degree in publishing from University College London. I am a writer of 7 books. Most of my works are related to the subject of history and political documentaries. For example, some of my famous books are about:
- war in Sri Lanka
- war in Chechnya
- the history of the Jewish nation
- the history of ISIS and global terrorism
There are many forms of writing. Some form requires the narration to be emotionless. For example, when you write a documentary you should not take a side, you should portray the subject as it is. I consider myself a little bit emotional though.
That's great. Can you tell us how do you gather information for your documentaries? And where do you normally publish them?
I did travel to some special places to gather the information for my books. For example, Iraqi Kurdistan, and northern Srilanka where it used to be the land of Tamil rebels. I own a Facebook page about history and politics with around 260,000 followers and a Facebook group of around 160,000 members who are interested in the same subjects.
May I ask why and when did you decide to become a writer?
Actually, this is not a choice. This is by nature. I have written a lot since I was young. My works gain wilder attention when I wrote a documentary on Sri Lanka civil war in 2013.
What is your current book about?
My current Book is “Kurdistan the Unreal Nation.” It is about the history of Kurdish people focusing on the recent period.
This is interesting. I'm curious what was your hardest scene to write?
In my work, I try to make complicated and sensitive issues easy for the readers to understand, and that’s quite hard. For example, it is hard to summarize the cause of the Syrian civil war.
I understand. It takes a lot of effort to simplify complex issues. I assume it takes a lot of effort on research as well. What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I read news and journals, conduct interviews with people who have a relationship with the books’ subject. Observe websites and social media of the groups that connect to the books’ subject. Visit the place of the subject. The length of the researching time is varied.
Wow, impressive. Well, here's another question from writer to writer. What’s the best way for you to market your books?
Luckily, I have a Facebook page to connect with my fan. So that is the best marketing channel.
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
Energize, of course.
Advice for anyone who wants to become a writer, do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
Of course, there are many forms of writing. Some form requires the narration to be emotionless. For example, when you write a documentary you should not take a side, you should portray the subject as it is. I consider myself a little bit emotional though.
What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
Well, my sister is also a writer. We did exchange information and techniques.
Now, a less serious question, as a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Corgi, I love corgi.
Thank you so much Pub for joining us today. Wish you the best of luck. Happy Writing.
If you'd like to know more about pub check:
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