Isan writers, Thai literature [electronic resource] : writing and regionalism in modern Thailand / Martin B. Platt.

Issued as part of UPCC book collections on Project MUSE.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [234]-246) and index.

Preface -- Introduction -- What makes Isan a region? -- Early Isan writers -- Isan comes to the center -- Isan writing enters the mainstream -- The rise of regionalism -- Isan writing at the end of the 20th century -- Conclusion : Isan writers, Thai literature -- Bibliography -- Index.

Regional characteristics and regional language feature prominently in discussions of Thai identity, but there is little mention of regional literatures. In northeastern Thailand's Isan region, authors write primarily in Thai, but it is possible nonetheless to identify an Isan literature, which played a significant and at times pivotal role in the development of Thai literature in the second half of the 20th century, as authors grappled with how their origins and experiences related to the Thai centre. Martin Platt's account of Isan literature is an important first step toward a broader study of regional literatures in Thailand, and shapes a model that has relevance for examining literary works in other Asian countries.

Description based on print version record.