Danish Nobel Laureate Karl Gjellerup’s novel The Pilgrim Kamanita (1906) recounts a borderless tale of a spiritual quest — a journey of an Indian merchant’s son from carnal desire to nirvana — that captured the public’s imagination. Now, it is time to pen stories that draw inspiration from this Buddhist masterpiece.
The literary contest “Inspired By The Pilgrim Kamanita By Karl Gjellerup” is accepting short story submissions until Dec 15, 2025. It aims to promote creativity and cultural exchange between Thailand and Denmark.
The event is part of the project “Tales Without Borders: Thai-Danish Literature And Translations” organised by the World Literature and Creative Writing Programme, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, in collaboration with the Royal Danish Embassy in Thailand.
The competition is open to students and the general public (no age restrictions). Contestants should engage with this novel or its Thai translation by the famous duo Sathirakoses and Nagapradipa, who have been praised for their work. Short stories should be 2,000-3,000 words in length. If written in Thai, entries must be accompanied by an English translation.
Selected works will be awarded certificates of recognition. Each category will have three prizes: First Prize, Second Prize and Third Prize.
Gjellerup (1857-1919) is a Danish author who shared the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1917 with his compatriot Henrik Pontoppidan. The son of a parson, Gjellerup studied theology but then turned to atheism. In later years, he returned to religion and found peace in Buddhism. It is shown in Minna (1889) and The Pilgrim Kamanita (1906), an exotic tale of reincarnation set in India. He wrote in Danish until around 1900 when he started writing only in German.
Submit your story in English or in Thai with an English translation by scanning the Quick Response (QR) code. Results will be announced in February.