Trairong Prasithipol, a columnist and cartoonist for A-Day and Matichon magazines, believes drawing and writing have more in common than one might think.
Trairong Prasithipol
"Perhaps I equally enjoy drawing and writing, as both are alike in transforming a concept into a visible shape and form, and the end result is enjoyment," said Trairong, 39.
He has written several books, such as It Was A Good Year, a musing on various abstract ideas, and Inheritance Of Insanity. He also illustrates his own books, as well as those of others.
Trairong chats with Life about his reading list and his favourite illustrators.
— Anchalee Kongrut
What are you reading?
I just finished Noom Nak Rien (Young Students) by Por Nedhrangsri. This book was written almost a century ago. The author recounted his life as a young boy living and in the Thon Buri area, when it was a land of canals and orchards. The writer successfully brought you back to the past. Now I am just reading the popular travel book Yellow Cabby Taxi New York, about a Thai guy who made a living driving a cab in New York City for six years. I love reading non-fiction and memoirs, in which writers just tell stories as they are.
Are there any highly recommended books that have let you down?
I am not influenced by bestseller lists. I often spend time flipping through pages and reading some to find out whether a book and myself are compatible or not. If I don’t find the book appealing, I just don’t buy it. So I am not disappointed by any books I read.
As an illustrator, can you recommend books that inspire your work?
Toh Toh Chang Dek Ying Karn Na Tang, a legendary Japanese work by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi. I am also a big fan of British illustrator Quentin Blake, especially with his works for Roald Dahl’s books. I love reading the content of both books as much as I adore the illustration works within. Both books, for me, are examples of a perfect marriage between content and illustrations.
What is your all-time favourite book?
Sae-Playboy Chao Rai by Rong Wongsawan. I love the rural Thai atmosphere in the book, but most of all I love the way the author uses his words and prose. I have respect for the exceptional refinement of this masterpiece. I return to read this book time and again.
E-books or dead trees?
Electronic reading devices offer you convenience, and on top of that save a lot of trees, which might have been cut down if all the world’s books were still printed on paper. However, I still cannot get over the sensory pleasure I derive from touching and reading physical books, such as the sound of paper ruffling through my fingers as I turn the pages.
