Episode 31: Remembering Natsagdorj, father of Modern Mongolian Literature

Simon Wickham-Smith joins us on this episode. Simon is the foremost scholar and translator of contemporary Mongolian literature into English, he's spent decades bringing Mongolian prose and poetry to readers who'd otherwise have no way in — work that culminated in Politics and Literature in Mongolia (1921-48), one of the only English-language studies of the period. Simon and we discuss his book and what Natsagdorj Dashdorj meant to Mongolians and why he is so revered and should he be revered.

Three Universals “Authors whose name starts with N“:

1. Natsagdorj Dashdorj

2. Namdag Donrov

3. Nyamaa Bataa

Pocketcast | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube

69min

Hosts: Anand, Julian

Guest: Simon Wickham-Smith

Date Recorded: July 26 2026

Date Released: August 5 2026

Keywords: literature | history | Germany

Show notes:

• Simon’s 2020 book Politics and Literature in Mongolia (1921-48)

• Simon’s podcast conversation about that book on New Books Network: East Asian Studies

• English translation of the Tears of Venerable Lama By Natsagdorj D.: TEARS OF A VENERABLE LAMA | Translation Studies