Min Yu Wai (; born Win Maung 26 October 1928 – 29 July 2021) was a prolific Burmese writer. He was awarded the 2011 Burma National Literature Award for lifetime achievement on 14 December 2012.

Early life and education

Win Maung, the youngest of eight siblings, was born in Kangyidaut, Irrawaddy Division, British Burma, on 26 September 1927, to U Tun Saine and Daw Thin.

Min Yu Wai

He was educated at Min Kone School, Kandawgyi Township in 1934, Pathein National High School in 1935, a Japanese school in 1941 and Kandawgyi Modern High School in 1942. From 1946 to 1951, he attended Rangoon University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Min Yu Wai

In 1955 and 1956, he attended University of London, studied Oriental and at College in Africa, studied Dictionaries.

Min Yu Wai

Careers

He served as the Senior staff officer of the Ministry of Information (1951) and as Insein District Superintendent (1952) and in 1953 as a librarian at the Department of Literature and the 1954 Assistant Professor at the Yangon University Translating and Publishing Department.

After returning from London as a foreign studies student, he worked as an assistant editor at the Yangon University Translation Center. From 1960 to 1968, he served as editor in charge of Ngwe Tar Yi Magazine.

He previously served as the chief editor at Myat Mingalar Journal from 1985 and at Mingalar Maung Mal Journal from 1989 until his death.

Awards

Personal life and death

In 1952, he married Ngwe Tar Yi. They had one daughter, Khin Yi Win.

Min Yu Wai died of COVID-19 on 29 July 2021, at age 92.

References

1928 births

2021 deaths

Burmese writers

Writers from Yangon

20th-century Burmese writers

20th-century male writers

University of Yangon alumni

Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Myanmar