Introducing The Tale of Khun Chang Khun Phaen, Siam’s folk epic of love and war

2.00-3.30 PM, Tuesday 27 September
Hedley Bull Lecture Theatre 2
College of Asia and the Pacific
Australian National University

A talk by Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit

Khun Chang Khun Phaen is the best known and most controversial classic of old Thai literature. A passionate love story set against a panorama of old Thai society, the epic tale developed over 500 years, first in oral tradition, later in the hands of court poets including two kings. Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit have translated the full work into English. Here they will present the tale, its plot and history, focusing on its controversial treatment of women, kingship, and love.

Chris Baker formerly taught Asian history in Cambridge University and has lived in Thailand for over thirty years. Pasuk Phongpaichit was Professor of Economics at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Together they have written A History of Thailand, Thailand: Economy and Politics, Thaksin, and published several translations.