We had the pleasure of interviewing actressjp95, one of our Songkran 2023 contest winners! Join us as we learn more about what inspired her entry "New Me", the main character, and some aspirations relating to Thai New Year.

What are some things that influenced your contest submission?

I was influenced by my research on the Songkran Festival which celebrates Thai New Year. Before writing, I immediately researched as much as I could because I wasn't familiar with the holiday and I wanted to write a story that felt realistic. So there should be lots of details within my story to help readers feel like they're getting a small slice of Thai New Year rituals.

Tell us about the main character of your winning entry. What inspired their creation?

The main character or star of this story is Kai. They are a nonbinary person who somewhat recently started to change their physical attributes - like clothes, hair, etc. - to become aligned with the identity they feel most comfortable with. So in this story, the reader ("You") had a crush on them since childhood, but the them that you knew used to be male, so during the reader's best friend's wedding weekend in Thailand, the reader sort of has to get used to Kai's identity while still harboring their unspoken romantic feelings. To keep it short, I was inspired to create Kai because I want to be a more inclusive writer. There are many gender identities, sexualities, religions, disabilities, and ethnicities in the world and so I hope in my future stories to create a space for diverse characters. As a cisgender female, I've always been curiously intrigued by nonbinary/gender fluid people -- some who I've seen afar and some who I've met in life. I think my genuine interest in gender fluidity played a part in creating Kai.

What were some challenges you experienced while writing your entry?

I think it's always a challenge when I attempt to step out of my comfort zone and create characters of other ethnicities, cultures, and gender identities. I want to be as realistic and accurate as I can without being stereotypical or offensive. That's why I like to research A LOT before writing stories. I'm just thankful humans have Google and the internet!

What was one thing you learned about Songkran for this contest or wish you could have learned in preparation of your entry?

So I learned that Thai New Year is celebrated in April within Thailand each year. I also learned the significance of why they have water fights and spray water on each other -- it's like a purifying action that mimics purifying one of their sins and negativity, and bringing in good luck for the new year. I think that's a unique way to celebrate.

The contest is about celebrating Songkran. What is one thing your character did that you wish to try?

Ooh... I want to try traditional Thai dishes like mango sticky rice as well as pad thai. I'm a picky eater, but if I ever get to travel to Thailand, I have to do it. I think watching people build the sand castles for the new year would be really fun, too.