Continuity and inheritance
During the war against the US, the Zone 5 battlefield became a vast literary space, leaving a profound mark on the revolutionary literature of renowned writers such as Phan Tu, Nguyen Ngoc, Chu Cam Phong, Nguyen Chi Trung, Nguyen Ba Tham, Ho Duy Le, and others.
After the country was reunified in 1975, several war writers continued to stay and remain in Quang Nam province, including writers Nguyen Ba Tham and Ho Duy Le. These writers were a bridge between the two periods of the national liberation struggle and the rebuilding of their homeland during the Doi Moi (Renovation) era.
Having the opportunity to return to the old battlefield, writer Nguyen Ba Tham wrote the collections of essays "Walking Along the Border" and "Land of Blood and Fire". Writer Ho Duy Le, in particular, has maintained his writing prowess for a long time, still diligently creating even though he is over 80 years old.
Looking back at his book publishing milestones, one can fully appreciate his persistent and extensive writing journey: "Green Sand" (1994), "In the Dust of Time" (2000), "Those Who Remain" (2002), "Stories of Yesteryear" (2004), "Cactus Flowers on the Sand" (2004), "My Mother" (2006), "Ten Chapters and a Time" (2011), "The Fire of Mount Thanh" (2011), "Nothing Is Lost" (2012), "The Long and Arduous Journey" (2015), "The Road to Da Nang " (2018), "Staying" (2019), "Where Sand Blows and Waves Crash" (2020), and "A Love Affair in the Land of Fire" (2024).
Following in the footsteps of veteran writers, in the journey of building their homeland, many writers and poets from Quang Nam province are serious and responsible with their pens, hoping to sketch out the face of this land of learning.
These include Lê Trâm, Nguyễn Tam Mỹ, Phùng Tấn Đông; Phạm Thông, Nguyễn Bá Hòa, Đỗ Thượng Thế, Huỳnh Minh Tâm, Nguyễn Chiến, Phạm Tấn Dũng…
Exploring the theme of revolutionary war are writers like Nguyen Tam My with notable works such as: "Blood and Crime," "Childhood in War," "The Ben's Roof," etc. Pham Thong has collections of essays such as "Haunted by the Eastern Region," "Tam Ky During the Time of Fire and Bullets," "Red Sand," etc. Writing about children is writer Nguyen Ba Hoa with works such as: "Ten Thousand Crickets," "Black-Snout on the Day of Return," "Sunrise on the Hoai River," "Han's Fairy Tale," "Strangers Loving Each Other," etc.
Writer Nguyen Tam My observed: "There are three generations of writers in Quang Nam who have inherited and connected with each other. They have strived to create, forming a rather distinct identity on the national literary map."
Besides writers who pursued the theme of revolutionary war, later writers and poets researched and innovated in terms of form of expression, especially in poetry, with unconventional and modern approaches that kept pace with general trends.
In particular, the Quang Nam element is very strongly reflected in the annual Quang Nam Literature and Arts Award, and the Quang Land Literature and Arts Award, which is presented every five years; this is evident in the creative methods such as the language and Quang Nam character when building characters.”
From 2003 to 2020, Quang Nam had four writers admitted as members of the Vietnam Writers Association : Ho Duy Le, Nguyen Ba Tham, Nguyen Tam My, and Le Tram. Later, two more people were admitted as members of the Vietnam Writers Association: poet Do Thuong The and Doctor Huynh Thi Thu Hau.
Commitment is needed.
Looking back at the 50 years since the liberation of our homeland and the 28 years since the re-establishment of the province, the field of literature and art in Quang Nam has achieved some successes; however, compared to the tradition of this land of learning, the "cradle" of revolutionary literature and art, it is still modest.
According to writer Nguyen Ba Tham, the Standing Vice Chairman of the Quang Nam Provincial Association of Literature and Arts from 1997 to 2009, the establishment of the Provincial Association of Literature and Arts and the Dat Quang Magazine was a significant milestone. This created a foundation for gathering artists and writers, encouraging creativity, and discovering new talents for Quang Nam's literature.
In particular, the project "One Hundred Years of Poetry in Quang Nam" and the plan for collecting, systematizing, and utilizing valuable documents on the theme of revolutionary war, approved by the Standing Committee of the Quang Nam Provincial Party Committee, have created an important highlight in the development of the literary and artistic field in Quang Nam.
“Regarding the work “One Hundred Years of Quang Nam Poetry,” published in 2005, it provided readers with an overview of the poetry of this region spanning two centuries. In May 2009, the Provincial Party Committee issued Directive 54 on “Continuing to implement the collection, systematization, and use of valuable documents on the theme of revolutionary war.” Accordingly, the Provincial People's Committee allocated budget for implementation. As a result, we have gradually exploited this precious “treasure trove”,” shared writer Nguyen Ba Tham.
Another concern, according to writer Nguyen Tam My, is that there are still not many works that invest adequately in the process of building new rural areas.
"It seems that writers and poets from Quang Nam are outside the scope of the new rural development program in their homeland, and this is something I've always been concerned about. Following in the footsteps of the revolutionary writers, the younger generation of writers needs to get involved and delve into the realities of life in order to write stories that are deeply rooted in real life and touch the hearts of readers," said writer Nguyen Tam My.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/dau-an-nha-van-xu-quang-3153195.html
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