Students of Mahidol University International College (MUIC) had the chance recently to listen to a published author discuss his first book, an anthology of short stories entitled, Welcome Me to the Kingdom.

Mr. Mai Nardone is a Thai-American writer based in Bangkok whose collection of gritty stories is set in Thailand’s capital city during the 1997 Financial Crisis. His characters are from three families navigating the effects of the financial crisis, their stories interwoven with each other as they struggled to deal with the individual challenges they faced.

The podcast episode was held at the Screening Room in Aditayathorn Building on March 6, 2025 as part of the Arts and Culture Festival, a joint event organized by the Humanities and Language (HLD) Division and Fine and Applied Arts (FAA) Division. It was hosted by Dr. Ivan Stacy, a faculty member of HLD.

Mr. Nardone related how his family’s experience in the 1997 Financial Crisis, his subsequent undergraduate degree in economics from a university abroad and his being a Bangkok resident, among others, led him to write this collection of stories, the earliest of which was published in 2012.

He discussed with Dr. Stacy the stories behind his stories along with the various influences to his work. The author also offered thoughtful answers to the questions of the students who have read his book, sharing with them his views on the characters, the themes, and other elements of the individual stories. His participation in the podcast did not fail to inspire MUIC students who are aspiring to be future writers and authors themselves.

For students who dream of becoming successful writers someday, MUIC’s Intercultural Studies and Languages (ICIC) program can offer you the academic and practical training and also the platform to reach your aspirations. For more details, please click this link: https://muic.mahidol.ac.th/eng/programs/undergraduate-programs/humanities-and-language/