by Naw Liang (Kanazawa, Japan and London, UK)
Mai soong kha!
Well, spring continues to bloom & blossom and, as the light stretches further into the night, I find myself with renewed energy to read, read, read. Good thing that spring is also a primtime for new book releases. The Shan are no exception to this rule, particularly with the growing interest that they share worldwide. In this post we learn about yet another publication devouted to the Shan, this time from new author, Henri-Andre Aye.
Not your usual book on the Shan or is it?
In an article written for S.H.A.N. in late April, Henri-Andre Aye's book is, though less than a month into the its publishing life, already regarded as 'an unusual book about the Shans'. This label, however, has little to do with the content - I have yet to find a true review of the book or get my hands on a copy - but more with the author's background and lineage, which contrasts his fellow Shan writers: Aye is the son of Tun Aye, an anti-feudalist politician and member of the Revolutionary Council that has been in power since 1962. This is, for some, a significant matter. Most fundamental works and memoirs documenting the Shan - these include Chao Tzang Yawnghwe's The Shan of Burma, Sao Noan Oo (aka Nel Adams) of Lawksawk's My Vanishing World, Sao Thusandi (aka Inge Sargent) of Hsipaw's Twilight over Burma and Sao Saimong Mangrai of Kengtung's Shan States and the British Annexation - are not only considered vade mecums by Shan researchers and enthusiasts because of their value, but also because their creators share an unbreakable bond: they each come (or came) from a noble house of the Shan State.
However, despite Aye's markedly different background, it is strange that this would be of any consequence in modern times. Others agree. In fact, S.H.A.N. Herald editor Khuensai Jaiyen's opinion that The Shan Conundrum provides a unique, a necessary view that is lacking in Shan-centric literature carries weight. Jaiyen even goes so far as to say the book helps us to have a "...good...look at ourselves from a different angle." I couldn't agree more and am, for this and many other reasons, eager to get my hands on a copy.
About the Author
Born in Taunggyi, Shan State in September 1953, Henri-Andre Aye (56) completed high school in 1973 in Rangoon (Yangon) before attending the Faculty of Foreign Languages (1974-1977) where he gained a diploma. Shortly after and under Malcolm Gough (ex-Associated Press), Aye studied journalism, completing his apprenticeship in 1979. He subsequently worked in tourism in Rangoon (Yangon) (1980-84), achieving a diploma with honors from the Tourism Supervisory and sponsored by United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in 1982. Aye then spent a decade in the hotel industry, while living widely abroad; he has called Paris, New York and Geneva 'home'. After leaving the hotel business, Aye began a career in logistics, which he continues today. This is his first work.
---------------------
Well, that's all for now. Time get my reading before the light (and my new-found enthusiasm) fades. Let's hope it lasts for just a little longer...
Naw Liang
