Visiting Author Ngarmpun Vejjajiva

Bangkok Patana School was pleased to host Khun Ngarmpun Vejjajiva, the author of the book The Happiness of Kati (ความสุขของกะทิ), to share her stories, experiences and inspiration. Ngarmpun Vejjajiva’s heartfelt book has been translated into 10 languages and won the S.E.A. Write Award for Thailand in 2006. 

The Happiness of Kati (ความสุขของกะทิ) explores how Kati, the main character, navigates the grief of losing her mother, who is diagnosed with a terminal illness, and her own coming-of-age journey. Through this narrative, Khun Ngarmpun addresses themes of love, loss and resilience to set a good example for children all around the world. She spoke to our students about how her book helps children understand that loss is inevitable and mentioned that the secret to happiness is that it comes from the people around you.

“After meeting the author of The Happiness of Kati, I learned more about career possibilities. I also found out how she started her writing career very late in her life but still found success because it was her true passion. Apart from this she also told us about the steps and things involved in writing a novel which will help me to write in the future,” said Parisa (Pip) K, 10M

Alisa S, 10V said, “It was inspiring to meet the author who created such a vivid world of emotion and familiar scenery. Not only did Khun Ngarmpun allow us to delve into her creative mind, but she also gave advice to aspiring young writers and encouraged perseverance in all artistic endeavors. Her understanding of the struggle to juggle multiple languages was a comfort to bilingual students and a motivation to maintain practice.”

– Article by Amy S, 10M