RANGOON — Zaw Zaw Aung, a contemporary writer credited with introducing modern and post-modern literature to Burmese audiences, passed away from natural causes on Tuesday night in Rangoon. He was 79.
Born Zaw Myint in Monywa, Sagaing Division, he earned his stripes as a scholar at Mandalay University, later pursuing a Master’s degree in Burmese literature at Rangoon University.
He worked at the esteemed school until 1990, the beginning of a tumultuous decade for the institution, which was later subjected to shutdowns and academic interference by the then-ruling military regime.
Though Zaw Zaw Aung was known mostly for introducing modern literary forms and themes among local writing circles, he also became popular among young readers for his spy novels in the 1980s, when James Bond movies captivated Burmese viewers.
Aside from his genre works, Zaw Zaw Aung was also an accomplished satirist and literary critic.