THE ANTAGONIST AND OTHER POEMS - Anucha Wannasoonthornchai

The Antagonist and Other Poems
By Anucha Wannasoonthornchai

The Antagonist and Other Poems is a visceral, unflinching collection of verse that navigates the clandestine fissures of Thai society. Weaving through the lives of the urban underclass and the pervasive decay of a capitalistic landscape, Wannasoonthornchai employs a linguistic style that is at once abrasive and fluid. His work is heavily imbued with the aesthetics of grunge and punk culture, flavored by the bitterness of cheap spirits and the haze of a relentless existence. These poems serve as a resonant echo of "dirty days," articulated through a lexicon that balances raw aggression with profound, meditative insight.

[The Narrative of the Marginalized] This is the poetry of the liberated spirit and the downtrodden—a chronicle of lives lived on the fringes, far removed from the polished facade of Bangkok, both in physical distance and quality of life. The collection is preoccupied with the arduous struggle against the wreckage of the "everyday." It captures the soul-crushing monotony of menial labor, the remnants of tobacco and alcohol, and the carnal realities of the human condition.

[The Antithesis of the "Land of Smiles"] For those seeking an encounter with a Thailand that defies the curated "Land of Smiles" and the mandate of perpetual cultural refinement, this volume offers a stark, necessary departure. Wannasoonthornchai’s voice is singular and haunting—a reverberation of truth in its most unadulterated form, stripped of societal artifice. To read his work is to confront a reality that has long been obscured by national myth-making.

In its essence, this collection stands in defiance of mainstream conventions and the hegemony of the elite. In its most candid moments, the poet’s rebellion turns inward, rendering him an antagonist even to himself.

Details
▪️Format : Paperback
▪️Piyavit Tepumnuaysakul : Editor-in-Chief
▪️Aekkasit Thiamtham : Editor
▪️Designed by ● SM STUDIO | Chirawat Rotaim ●
▪️Published : Mar 2025
▪️Length : 120 pages
▪️ISBN : 978-616-562-075-8
▪️Dimensions (cm) : 10.8 x 17.8
▪️Price : 200 THB