U Khin Maung Sein, the owner of Zaw Literature House in Yangon, has been collecting old and rare books since 1977. Ten thousand of them are on display at Lokanat Gallery on Pansodan Street. For full story see page 23. Pic: Lwin Maung Maung

U KHIN Maung Sein, owner of Zaw Literature House, has been collecting old and rare books since 1977 and has so many that it took a large truck to transport them to Lokanat Gallery, where they are currently being displayed.

It took another truck to transport the bookshelves the 10,000 books will be displayed on until February 8, and that is just two thirds of his collection U Khin Maung Sein says.

He started collecting books as a schoolteacher in Mandalay in the late 1970s.
Although he has lent his books to other exhibitions, this is the first exhibition dedicated solely to his books.

Much of his collection, which occupies two floors of his house, has until now only been seen by close friends and other book enthusiasts.

Published in both Myanmar and English, books can be found in his collection on almost any subject imaginable, from religion and art to politics and science as well as some fiction books.

Some of the oldest books on display include A Mission to the Court of Ava by Michael Symes, published in 1800, Algebra in Burma by Moung Hpo Moung, published in 1879 and the seven volume set of Inventory of Bagan.

U Khin Maung Sein says first editions of these books are very rare.

He points to an international list of rare books, which includes 12 books printed between1800 and1910, and proudly says that he owns most of the books on that list.

“Some of the other books are also very rare but are not on the list as they are less than 100 years old,” he says. “For example the History of Rangoon printed in 1939, Birds of Burma printed in 1940 and three volumes of Old Burma, Early Pagan by G.H. Luce, which were first printed in 1969.”

When her first started collecting he had little knowledge of which books were valuable or rare, he says. He simply liked books. He has learnt to recognize truly valuable books along the way.

“Rare books are those which have been published over 100 years ago and it must be first print,” he explains.

Many of the rarest books in his collection have been sourced from unusual places.

“They have come to me in various ways,” he says, “But especially from street book sellers. Sometimes I even get books from the shops that sell old books by the weight.”

Rare Myanmar books from U Khin Maung Sein’s collection are also part of the Lokanat exhibition, including the second edition of Myanmar’s first novel Maung Yin Maung Ma Mae Ma by James Hla Kyaw as well as first editions by famous Myanmar authors such as Shwe U Daung, Thein Pe Myint, Dagon Shwe Hmyar, Dagon Tayar and Mahar Swe.

Old magazines and journals published in the 1930s including The Sun Magazine, Ganda Lawka and Burma Pictorial are also on display.

It is very difficult to come across these magazines these days, he says. The 61-year old regrets he has no children to inherit his collection and is now considering selling some of his most prized pieces. “The one who knows the real value of these books will get them,” he says.