Archive · 17 Jan 2026
Bhutanese Writer Kunzang Choden Preserves Oral Folklore
Kunzang Choden is a writer from Bhutan who loves to write stories.
She grew up in a place where stories were told out loud, not read from books.
She enjoys listening to the stories of her elders and writing them down.
Her first language for writing was English, which she learned in school.
She has written a book called Telling Me My Stories, which is about her childhood memories.
She believes it's important to stay true to the stories she hears and to respect both spoken and written forms.
Kunzang Choden is the first Bhutanese woman to write a novel in English.
She grew up in an oral society where stories were told, not read.
Her writing is inspired by the stories of her elders and her own memories.
She writes in English, which was her first written language.
Her latest book, Telling Me My Stories, is a personal collection of childhood memories.
- Who
- Kunzang Choden, the first Bhutanese woman to write a novel in English.
- What
- A writer who preserves Bhutan's oral folklore through her writing.
- When
- Born in 1952, she started writing from a young age.
- Where
- Bhutan, specifically the Bumthang district.
- Why
- To document and share the stories and memories of her elders and culture.
- Name
- Kunzang Choden
- Birth Year
- 1952
- Birthplace
- Bumthang district, Bhutan
- Language
- English
- Notable Work
- Telling Me My Stories