Meet Phra Sunthorn Vohara (1786–1855), better known as Sunthorn Phu, or Thailand’s most famous poet. His most famous epic poem, Phra Aphai Mani (Prince Aphai Mani, or พระอภัยมณี in Thai) runs 30,000 lines long, and he began writing it in prison when he was serving a sentence for fighting. The poem follows Prince Aphai Mani, who plays a magic flute that causes people to sleep and eventually die. Aphai was later kidnapped by a giant that transformed himself into a beautiful girl… and then the plot gets weird and long-winded. Sunthorn is credited with breaking tradition and writing in a more plain style than his florid contemporaries.