Mon Ethnic Literature Workshop
Following on the from the success of the Hpa-an workshop, Mawlamyine, the capital of Mon State was the location for the second round of the Hidden Words, Hidden Worlds, ethnic short story workshops …
Respected short story writer and literary editor, Saya Lay Ko Tin, led five days of short story creation instruction at the Millennium Centre.
As usual, a leading regional writer was invited to co-lead the workshop to focus on traditional regional themes and content for the stories. After several meetings with writers and the Mon Literature and Culture Committee, one name kept on cropping up.
Mie Lay Mon
A retired headmistress, from a village near Thaton, Mie Lay Mon is the most prolific female ethnic Mon writer creating stories in the Mon language, having written and published over 40 stories, mostly centred around schools and the relationships between the student and the teacher.
Mie Lay Mon teaching participants
12 Mon speaking community members took part in the workshop. One participant coming from so far way that he slept in the Millennium centre every night to enure that he could attend on time all 5 days.
A private award dinner was held at the end of the workshop, with senior members of the Mawlamyine community invited, including the chairman of the Rahmonnya Peace Foundation, central executive committee members of the All Mon Regions Democratic party and MLCC district level officers.
The participants were given a certificate of completion, a gift bag and t-shirt and the annual short story anthology collectors edition published by Seikku Cho Cho.
The next ethnic region short story workshop will be held in Lashio at the end of December.