This public presentation deals with the cultural and material history of Khmer kraing manuscripts
or folded paper books and will highlight the rarely studied papermaking process for making them.
The manuscripts were traditionally produced for Buddhist ritual purposes using handmade paper
from the bark of the snay tree (Streblus asper), a technique that has disappeared in Cambodia
since the early twentieth century.
Drawing from a combined twenty years of research and fieldwork between both presenters,
the presentation will include a narrated demonstration of traditional snay sheet-forming tech-
niques, contextualized within the broader cultural significance of Buddhist manuscripts during
Cambodia's pre-modern period.
The event is free and open to all. Khmer interpretation will be provided. A short discussion will
follow the presentation, along with light refreshments.
Presenter Bios:
Isabella Myers is an Asian Cultural Council Fellow currently traveling across Cambodia to share
her research on kraing manuscripts and traditional snay papermaking. Her work combines field
research, material analysis, and collaborative cultural outreach. A 2019 US Fulbright Scholar and
2018 Khmer Language Fellow at the Center for Khmer Studies, she has spent the past seven years
studying kraing and experimenting with ways to recreate the paper based on surviving manuscript
samples.
Sim Susay is a Khmer elder from Ang Village, Trapeang Kor Commune, Cheung Prey District,
Kampong Cham Province. A survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime, he has devoted his life to pre-
serving Khmer manuscript culture. A former monk for 13 years (1980-1993) at Sa Ang Pagoda,
Sram Pagoda, and Pnov Pagoda, he studied Khmer calligraphy and helped collect surviving kraing
manuscripts from local villagers alongside the chief monk and head achar of Sa Ang Pagoda.
Now retired, he volunteers at Sa Ang Pagoda and within the Ang Community. In his free time, he
enjoys gardening, dharma practice, and meditation.
