Prize prose

Young poet gathers awards

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos courtesy of CP All

Writing poems isn’t a popular activity among young people these days. At the recent 7 Book Awards, the 22-year-old Chatree Trachoo (Tae) was the only poet to receive an award in the young adult category.

Tae won second prize for a compilation of his poems from the past two years, Bantad Soodthai Nai Loodoogarn (The Last Line of the Season), and he said he was proud of the prize though it wasn’t his first one.

“I’ve participated in many contests because my poems may not reach their standard. Judges comment on my work, so I can improve my writing,” Tae said.

ACCIDENTAL POET

Tae wrote his first poem when he was in junior high school after he unintentionally attended a Thai language club which had only four members.

“After the teacher rewrote my first poem, it was posted on the school board. I felt that it was challenging and fun to write poems,” Tae said.

QUALITY TIME

As a student who liked to spend time hanging out with friends and sometimes fooling around, Tae found that writing poems led him on the right path.

“Writing poems helps to develop a person’s mind. To write a poem, I need to be in a quiet place and spend time alone, which makes me come up with ideas,” Tae said.

STEP BY STEP

Tae takes writing seriously. He writes poems often and develops his skills by consulting his teacher at the club.

“After bothering him every day, he gave me a book on how to write poems. [Laughs.] I still consult him when I attend a contest. I also improve my skills by participating in poem camps when I have a chance,” Tae said.

INSPIRING EXPERIENCE

With his great observations, the young poet can turn experiences from his daily routine into beautiful poems. One of his favourites in the winning collection is called Stranger and Irregular Customer.

“The poem is about an old man who is a cobbler. He was honest and nice. The old man took time to fix my shoes and had a hard time calculating the price and taking my money. I was worried that he may be cheated by some customers. But since that day I haven’t seen him again,” Tae said.

CONFIDENT WINNER

Because Tae has won several awards and has been a representative of Phichit province in a regional contest, he was over-confident until he was hit by some honest comments.

“I got feedback from a reader on a poetry web-board. He commented on my poem frankly. At first, I couldn’t take it, but after a while I agreed with some of his comments about my skills and content. I realised that I shouldn’t have been an egotist,” Tae said.

FUTURE CAREER

Though Tae, who is majoring in Thai language at Bansomdej Chaopraya Rajabhat University, wishes to become a professional poet, he knows he needs a real job in order to make money.

“I’ll write poems when I have time off from my future job. If there is a contest, I’ll participate in it,” Tae said.

 

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