“The flow of thoughts between father and son” through the two poetry collections “Vet thieu quang” and “Van khong”

On September 14 in Hanoi, there was an exchange and launch of two poetry collections, “Vet thieu quang” by poet Le Thuan Nghia and “Van khong” by poet Ngo Thanh Van (published by the Writers Association Publishing House). The program, with the theme “The flow of words of father and son”, marked a special poetic meeting when two generations walked side by side on the journey of literary creation.

Scene of the exchange and book launch. Photo: Thuy Du

Author Le Thuan Nghia, born in 1959 in Quang Binh , currently lives and works in Hamburg (Germany). He is a qigong master, physician, and Director of the UNESCO Center for Applied Research in Community Health Care in Vietnam.

Author Le Thuan Nghia shares about his first collection of poems. Photo: Thuy Du

His poetry collection “Vet Thieu Quang” consists of 66 poems, letting the language flow naturally like air and breath, giving readers a parallel experience of practicing the mind, practicing breathing and contemplating life. In particular, the musicality in the poems is very strong, sometimes like a high-pitched hymn, sometimes simplified to leave a “silent note” rich in evocative power. Thanks to that, the 66 poems combine to form a refined epic poem about life.

Two poetry collections "Vet Thieu Quang" and "Van Khong". Photo: Thuy Du

Poet Ngo Thanh Van, born in 1981, currently living in Pleiku, Gia Lai province - is a member of the Vietnam Writers Association, the Vietnam Association of Literature and Arts of Ethnic Minorities and the Gia Lai Literature and Arts Association. She has won many awards: the "Young Author" Award of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations in 2009, the 2nd and 3rd Gia Lai Literature and Arts Awards and the 4th prize of the poetry contest of the Thanh Literature and Arts Magazine in 2011.

To date, Ngo Thanh Van has published 9 publications including 5 poetry collections, 2 short story collections and 2 essay collections. Although she has stepped back to do management work, she still maintains a strong attachment to literature.

Author Ngo Thanh Van shares about two poetry collections. Photo: Thuy Du

Her poetry collection “Van Khong” this time also includes 66 poems, including many emotional works such as “Thinh khong ngot bang may”, “Xa xa co tet nhan”, “Nhung doa hoa rac sang”, “Lang cua pho”, “Viet tu 17th floor”, “Gio phong sang to em khong”, “Ma ros”, “Cuc mi”…

Author Ngo Thanh Van shared: “This exchange session introduces my father’s first book and my ninth book with many connections. The opening poem of my father’s poetry collection is “Vet thieu quang”, and the closing poem of my poetry collection is also “Vet thieu quang”. The last poem in my father’s collection is “Dem ngan ho lie nghe vong ca” written for Van. The two book covers were drawn by father and daughter, choosing similar colors, which my father called “the color of mother’s heart”, containing the love of parents for their children”.

Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Hanoi Writers Association, shares about the two poetry collections. Photo: Thuy Du

At the exchange and book launch, poet Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers Association, commented that Le Thuan Nghia and Ngo Thanh Van are present in the same poetic space but take two different paths. If Le Thuan Nghia is a person who has experienced storms, cherishing poetic verses distilled from events and reflections, then Ngo Thanh Van opens up a vast, youthful, free, and endless sky. Two generations, two voices, but both write about human life in poetic language, so that each time they read it, readers find new discoveries.

At the event, poets, writers, and critics shared their feelings about the two poetry collections, creating a meaningful artistic dialogue, highlighting the creative journeys of two authors who are both different and connected.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/dong-chay-tam-ngon-cua-cha-va-con-qua-hai-tap-tho-vet-thieu-quang-va-van-khong-716028.html