Life and career stories: Translators bring Vietnamese poetry to the world

At the admission ceremony of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association on January 15, there was a small poet from Australia attending. That was Vo Thi Nhu Mai, who specializes in translating good Vietnamese poems to introduce to readers around the world.

Poet Vo Thi Nhu Mai

Photo: MINH LE

Her Vietnamese Rhythm Bookshelf was officially born after the success of the first 500-page bilingual book, with more than 700 bilingual poems by domestic and foreign authors. From there, translator Nhu Mai continued to create the work The Price for That Day I Waited , selecting 850 poems by 220 authors, not only honoring the language of poetry but also opening up space for readers to explore cultural diversity through each page of the book.

Most recently, translator Nhu Mai continued her journey of spreading bilingual poetry with a new poetry collection, The Wrinkles of Time , consisting of 264 bilingual poems by 264 authors from many different cultures, each poem is a story, a distinct breath. The poet not only took on the role of translator but also designed and laid out the pages, creating a compact book, illustrated to suit the content and style of each author.

Book launches held in Ho Chi Minh City, Hue and Da Nang opened up spaces for cultural connection and exchange. "Poetry becomes a bridge, bringing people from different lands closer together, sharing common values ​​about love, life and beauty. Therefore, the Rhythm Viet bookshelf not only carries out the mission of preserving and developing poetry but also promotes understanding and mutual respect between cultures," poet and translator Vo Thi Nhu Mai confided.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chuyen-doi-chuyen-nghe-dich-gia-dua-tho-viet-ra-the-gioi-18525011822131267.htm