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| Story by Suchart Sawatsi |
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If Kularb Saipradit were alive today, Sri Burapha (a penname by which his readers know him) would have been 96 years old. It would have been 72 years since both the creation of the Suparb Burut Group (Gentleman's Group), a distinguished grouping of writers that Kularb belonged to, as well as Suparb Burut (Gentleman) Magazine, a first of its kind bi-monthly magazine of which Kularb was both the owner and chief editor. |
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Kularb Saipradit's humble beginnings, compounded with the death of his father at an early age, and the determination of his mother and sister to provide for Kularb's education, molded a youngster who knew early on his calling in life. Writing prolifically from his tender teenage years - from poetry to short stories to translations - Kularb landed his first job out of school at a newspaper. Since then, he had developed a career in writing
that would take him through the tumultuous eras of such twentieth century notables as Sarit Thanarat and Plaek Phibulsongkram, which committed him to the nation's political development within the realm of the press. For Prachachart, a daily newspaper that Kularb had spent some time with, "the country's comprehensive advancement is the compass for the press, who must stand on the side of Democracy." |
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Kularb's dedication to writing is readily understood from one glance at his impressive curriculum vitae. In addition to being remembered as a major influence in the nation's literary development, accredited with such timeless pieces as "Behind the Painting," it is also clear that Kularb had played a major role in the nation's news/press circuit. Affiliated with various leading newspapers and even presented the Pridi Bhanomyong
Award for excellence in democracy and peace works, Kularb has been widely respected as definitively advancing such freedoms of speech and the press that we now hold so dear. |
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But what has been imprinted in the minds of those who knew him more personally takes one back to the creation of that elite group of writers - the Suparb Burut Group - "although Kularb had qualities of an excellent author and journalist, the overriding and more important fact is that the combination of his qualities rendered him a true gentleman with a humanitarian vision..." |
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