Ho Chi Minh City Literature Flow: Efforts to Step Beyond Borders

The "tickets" are getting longer and longer

In 2010, writer Nguyen Nhat Anh went to Bangkok (Thailand) to receive the ASEAN Literature Award for his work Give Me a Ticket to Childhood. In his speech at the award ceremony, writer Nguyen Nhat Anh said that every nation has a bell hanging in front of the window of its soul. Writers have the mission to ring those bells through literature.

“I am very happy and proud to have contributed to promoting Vietnamese literature abroad. More importantly, through literature, international friends will have more understanding and sympathy for the country and people of Vietnam. In addition to the official diplomatic channels of the state, I think literature, music, cinema… are equally important “people’s diplomacy” channels for one nation to love another,” writer Nguyen Nhat Anh expressed.

Writer Nguyen Nhat Anh is a prominent name in Vietnamese children's literature today, and he is also the one whose works are translated and published the most abroad, such as Wishing a good day (English), Sitting and crying on the tree (English), I see yellow flowers on the green grass (Japanese, English), Blue eyes (Japanese), Give me a ticket to childhood (Thailand, Korea, England, Japan), The girl from yesterday (selected to be included in the Vietnamese language teaching program of MVLomonosov University, Moscow, Russia), Passing through chrysanthemums (Japan), I am Beto (Korea)...

In addition to writer Nguyen Nhat Anh, a number of authors from Ho Chi Minh City also have works that have entered the world in many different ways. These include Nguyen Ngoc Thuan with Just closing your eyes and opening the window (UK, Korea and Hungary); Duong Thuy with Beloved Oxford (UK), Closing your eyes to see Paris (UK), The golden road of sunshine (UK); Chu Quang Manh Thang with Scene di vita in Vietnam (UK, China, Italy), Do Quang Tuan Hoang with Across the clouds (China), Vu Dinh Giang with Parallel (France, UK)...

Booth introducing HCMC publications at Frankfurt Book Fair 2024 (Germany)

In particular, in recent years, a new trend has emerged in book making, combining literature and painting to create picture books that appeal to young readers. Thanks to this approach, many authors have had their works sold abroad, such as Bui Phuong Tam with It's True Tet, Put Your Phone Down, and My Dad is a Runner.

Some artists who are also authors such as Khoa Le, Pham Quang Phuc, Phung Nguyen Quang, Huynh Kim Lien have works that have won awards or been published abroad, then Kim Dong Publishing House bought the copyright and translated them into Vietnamese.

Unfortunately, the number of works from Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam that have been translated and published abroad is still not much. Most of the works that are currently sold copyright abroad come from individuals or from the efforts of publishing units such as Tre Publishing House, Kim Dong Publishing House, Chibooks Company, but there is still no specific strategy at the national or city level to help the story of bringing Vietnamese literature abroad achieve higher efficiency.

Both determination and policy are needed.

With the goal of contributing to introducing literary works of Ho Chi Minh City to readers of many countries, in April 2022, the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association re-established the Translation Literature Council. Writer Bui Anh Tan, Vice President of the Union of Literature and Arts Associations of Ho Chi Minh City - Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, welcomed the establishment of the Translation Literature Council, because this is also a form of bringing Vietnamese culture to foreign countries, called the soft power of culture.

“HCMC still has works and authors that are worth translating. For example, during the renovation period, there were works by Nguyen Manh Tuan, some works about war by Van Le and Nguyen Quang Sang. Later, there were the pure children's works by Nguyen Ngoc Thuan and Nguyen Nhat Anh, or some young authors who are also worth introducing to the world,” writer Bui Anh Tan commented when looking back at the literary flow of HCMC over the past 50 years.

However, in reality, even though 2 years have passed, apart from small-scale exchanges, no work has yet "stepped out" into the world from the Translation Literature Council.

The works of Ho Chi Minh City that have reached the world mostly come from the efforts of individuals and organizations, such as recently Chibooks Company has sold the copyrights into Chinese for two works: "Vất qua nhung ngan may" (Do Quang Tuan Hoang) and " Nguoi Ha Noi , chuyen an cua mot thoi" (Vu The Long). This is the result of more than 10 years of pursuing the dream of bringing Vietnamese literature to the world by this unit.

Translator Nguyen Le Chi introduces Vietnamese publications to partners at the Beijing International Book Fair in June 2024

As Director of Chibooks Company, translator Nguyen Le Chi has participated in many book fairs in the region as well as in the world such as: Guangxi Book Exhibition (China); international book fairs such as Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Beijing (China), Bangkok (Thailand); China - ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO)...

From these contacts, translator Nguyen Le Chi believes that Ho Chi Minh City literature is completely worthy of being introduced abroad. Because through literature, countries can exchange and understand the culture, people as well as customs, historical, social and cultural changes of each country.

“If we want to export Ho Chi Minh City literature abroad, there is no other way but to translate, and the same is true for other countries. This can only be done with state investment and strong direction. Without it, small companies will still do as they can, of course it will take a long time and it is not certain that they will be successful. Like Chibooks, it took us more than 10 years to successfully introduce two books abroad. This is an extremely difficult task,” said translator Nguyen Le Chi.

Writer Bui Anh Tan suggested: “The city can absolutely set up a translation fund. The Department of Culture and Information can manage the finances, and the Writers Association can take care of the professional aspects. The city is now ready, with authors, works, a Literature Translation Council, a publishing house, a printing and distribution company. What is needed now is a combination of all parties, under the direction of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee. Only then can we translate and bring Ho Chi Minh City's outstanding literary works to the outside world.”

Meanwhile, from October 13 to 22, 2024, the Ho Chi Minh City delegation chaired by the Department of Information and Communications (now the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City) participated in the Frankfurt Book Fair 2024 to promote publications and introduce the culture of Vietnam in general and Ho Chi Minh City in particular through activities at the book fair. This is the second time the Department of Information and Communications of Ho Chi Minh City has participated in this book fair, considered the largest in the world, further demonstrating the interest and determination of Ho Chi Minh City in introducing publications in general and literary works of Ho Chi Minh City in particular, to the world.

Mr. Trinh Huu Anh, Head of the Publishing, Printing and Distribution Department, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications, said that the department determined to bring the Ho Chi Minh City publishing industry closer to and reach out to the world market through promotional activities and participation in book fairs. In the following years, the department will try to introduce the city's literary works at major book fairs around the world.

In addition, the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee and the leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee have just issued instructions on organizing the translation of valuable works about Ho Chi Minh City as well as about Vietnam to serve foreign affairs purposes. This is the basis for publishing houses to join the city, participate in organizing the editing, translation, and publishing of their publications into other languages ​​and participate in future book fairs.

Literature is a great means to understand a country.

“There are countries that are geographically distant, but thanks to the bridge of literature, cinema, music or painting, we still feel close. How could you not want to visit Notre Dame Cathedral if you love the works of Victor Hugo? I believe that literature not only brings beauty but is also a wonderful means to explore a land, understand a country and love a people. That is why I hope that books by Vietnamese writers will help foreign readers love our people and our country more.”

Writer NGUYEN NHAT ANH

HO SON

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/dong-chay-van-chuong-tphcm-no-luc-buoc-ra-ngoai-bien-gioi-post794975.html