Laos, landlocked and wholly traditional, this Southeast Asian country is only recently becoming regularly visited by tourists. The literature of this country seems non-existent at first, buried deeply within the infrastructure of a country battered by years of instability. Yet literature is a very important part of this country's culture. Buddhism has been very influential on Lao literature. There are also significant writings and stories unique to Laos alone, such as the epic story of Sin Say or Khun Borom. Moreover, prose and poetry were among the first and most popular form of literature. Poetry that would manifest itself in music, specifically love songs.

Despite the presence of numerous economic and political obstacles, the literarcy rate is just under 50% for the age 15 and above group. And those aged 15-24 have a literacy rate of 68% (as of 2001).

Manuscripts. Manuscripts were created with bai lan (palm-leaf). In the past all literature was written on to this material regardless of whether it was religious related or not. However nowadays it is more common to associate bai lan with Buddhist manuscripts. They are quite commonly found, though sometimes in poor condition. Due to age, climate conditions, quality, and mistreatment, some of the country’s texts are disappearing or becoming illegible and public libraries are a rare luxury. Field preservation initiatives such as the Preservation of Lao Manuscripts Programme (PLMP) funded by the German government, are working hard to recover, protect and catalogue the country's most valuable literary assets, the Buddhist manuscripts. The most reliable source of original manuscripts is within the places of worship. Laos, with its primary religious following being Buddhist, keeps many of its texts in traditional libraries (haw trai), which resemble chapels, located inside the temple (wat). They are kept in exquisitely decorated wooden caskets. Much of Laos' literature is Buddhist related such as the Dhammapada which includes the discourses and stories from Buddha.

Often times now, you will find communities involved in the helping of monks in the reinvigoration and restoration of manuscripts. Tasks that are seen as bringing merit and good karma to those involved.

Less lavish but no less painstaking to make are the folding books written in the Lao language, elaborately illustrated with watercolor pictures.

The first records we have today of Lao literature date back to the 15th and 16th century. The majority of the traditional Lao works are religious texts or historical documents. The most famous of which is a classical interpretation of the Indian story of 'Ramayana.' Despite this, Laos has a long history of detailed folklore, children's fables, proverbs, parables and poems. There are three internationally recognised 'masterpieces' of Laotian literature, the Vetsantrasadok, the Sin Xay, and the Thao Hung. The first is a story of Buddha, emphasizing education through reincarnation. The second is a poem often translated as Sin Xay, in which the hero Sin Xay is born holding his bow and arrows, his brother Sang Thong is a snail and his half brother, a golden tusked elephant. They rescue their Aunt and defeat the ogre Nhak Koumphan. The third, Thao Hung is a historical epic that recounts the struggle between the ruling ancient families in Indochina. Each of the three varies greatly in themes, but all have a strong sense of culture and tradition. Literature in Laos is truly an instrument of education and entertainment.