Director Ham Tran (left) and producer Kim Ly attend the book launch of writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai - Photo: LE GIANG
On the morning of December 14th, author Nguyen Phan Que Mai launched the Vietnamese translation of her novel *Dust Child* in Ho Chi Minh City. A large number of writers, artists, critics, and readers attended.
The book "Life in the Wind and Dust" tells the story of people's fates during wartime, with the idea stemming from the article "The Call of the Past" by the author Nguyen Phan Que Mai herself, published in Tuoi Tre newspaper in 2015. The Vietnamese translation was done by translators Thien Nga and Nguyen Phan Que Mai, and published by Vietnam Women's Publishing House and Nha Nam.
Ham Tran and Kim Ly want to make a film based on "Life in the Wind and Dust".
Producer Kim Lý read Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's novel and commented that she is a wonderful writer who writes from the heart. The world needs to know the stories told in her books.
Kim Lý has purchased the film adaptation rights and hopes to work with director Hàm Trần ( Aerial Battle, The Devil's Restaurant ). When the Vietnamese translation of the book is released, he hopes that many Vietnamese readers, especially young readers, will learn about this novel. They will gain a deeper understanding of forgiveness and love.
Kim Lý and Hàm Trần want to make a film adaptation of the book "Life in the Wind and Dust" - Video : LÊ GIANG
Director Ham Tran loved the book and sent the author a review. He said: "This story is an answer. When I lived in America, there was little information about the Vietnam War, and if there was any, it was in films or musicals like 'Miss Saigon, ' but it was all from an American perspective."
As a filmmaker, Ham Tran has always wanted to tell the story of the Vietnam War from a Vietnamese perspective. He considers "Life in the Wind and Dust " a very important work and expressed his desire to make a film based on the book.
Writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai hopes Vietnamese people will reclaim the right to tell their story to the world - Photo: LE GIANG
Writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai expressed her appreciation for this and said her dream is to bring not only Vietnamese literature but also Vietnamese cinema to the world.
"Hollywood has already made many films about Vietnam, but in them, we Vietnamese people have no voice. We are merely background characters for American stories. Now let's reclaim our right to tell our own stories," the writer said.
Nguyen Phan Que Mai's internationally award-winning book about Vietnam.
The novel Dust Child was first published in English in March 2023 and became an international bestseller.
The book has won international awards including: the 2023 She Reads Readers' Choice Award for Best Historical Novel; one of the three finalists for the 2024 Dayton Prize for Peace ; the 2025 One Book, One Lincoln Award; and the Prix Créteil en poche for Best Foreign Novel in 2025 (France).
Writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai and the Vietnamese translation of her book "Life in the Wind and Dust" - Photo: Nha Nam
The book has been translated into 14 languages (Italian, German, French, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Croatian, Finnish, Czech, Portuguese, Danish, Russian, Sri Lankan, and Vietnamese) and published in 20 countries. It will soon be released in 5 more languages (Macedonian, Serbian, Arabic, Indonesian, and Lithuanian).
Author Nguyen Phan Que Mai was born in Ninh Binh and raised in Bac Lieu. She is currently one of the most prominent Vietnamese writers on the international literary scene. A writer, poet, journalist, and translator, she writes in both Vietnamese and English and is the author of 13 books.
Artist Le Sa Long presents writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai with a portrait painting - Photo: LE GIANG
The Mountains Sing, Nguyen Phan Que Mai's debut novel in English, has been translated into 25 languages and received numerous international awards, including the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Prize, second prize in the Dayton Literary Prize for Peace, the International Book Award, the Nota Bene Prize, the BookBrowse Award for Best First Novel, and the Lannan Literary Prize.
The poem " The Homeland Calls My Name" by Nguyen Phan Que Mai was set to music by composer Dinh Trung Can and became a popular song.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/dao-dien-tu-chien-tren-khong-muon-lam-phim-tu-sach-doat-giai-quoc-te-cua-nguyen-phan-que-mai-20251214130023268.htm
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