Tales in Colour and Other Stories
Bhutan

Tales in Colour and Other Stories

by Kunzang Choden

Society & Class Fiction Short Stories 2009

Summary

Tales in Colour and Other Stories is a collection of short stories exploring the lives, aspirations, and struggles of women in contemporary Bhutan. Set primarily in rural communities, the stories portray women navigating marriage, motherhood, family obligations, social expectations, and the gradual transformation of traditional ways of life.

With wit, subtle irony, and compassion, Kunzang Choden examines the tensions between tradition and modernity as urbanisation introduces new possibilities and changes how people understand themselves and their communities. In one story, a young woman discovers the confidence to make decisions independently of her mother; in another, a rural woman is drawn towards the glamour and opportunities associated with city life.

The collection gives voice to women whose experiences are often overlooked, revealing the complexity beneath seemingly ordinary lives. Through intimate portraits of everyday relationships and personal choices, Choden offers a nuanced perspective on Bhutanese society, particularly the changing roles and expectations of women.

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Country
Bhutan
Asia
About the author
Kunzang Choden
Kunzang Choden

Kunzang Choden is a Bhutanese author, folklorist, and cultural preservationist, widely recognised as the first Bhutanese woman to publish a novel in English. Born in 1952 in the Bumthang district of central Bhutan, she grew up surrounded by the country’s rich oral storytelling traditions. At the age of nine, she was sent to school in India, where she learned English. She later studied psychology at Indraprastha College in Delhi and sociology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the United States. Choden initially worked as a teacher and later for the United Nations Development Programme in Bhutan. From the 1990s onward, she devoted much of her writing to documenting Bhutanese folklore, traditional beliefs, and women’s experiences. Her books include Folktales of Bhutan (1994), Bhutanese Tales of the Yeti (1997), and Tales in Colour and Other Stories (2009). Her acclaimed novel The Circle of Karma (2005) explores the changing roles of women in Bhutanese society. Through fiction and folklore, Choden preserves cultural traditions while examining the tensions between tradition, modernisation, and gender expectations. She also co-founded Riyang Books, a Bhutanese publishing house established in 2012 to support local literature and writers.

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Details
Published
2009
Author
Kunzang Choden