Exchange with poet Bao Ngoc

Recently, Khanh Hoa Provincial Library organized the Pink Book Page Festival 2025 with the theme "You and the Blue Ocean". During the program, students had the opportunity to talk and interact directly with poet Bao Ngoc - Vice President of the Children's Literature Council (Vietnam Writers Association) about the beauty and love for the Vietnamese language; suggestions for writing a good essay to participate in the UPU Letter Writing Contest 2025...

Poet Bao Ngoc (middle) participates in a talk show in the Pink Book Page Festival program.

Poet Bao Ngoc has many poems selected to be included in textbooks such as: Story of building a house, Pink sunshine (Vietnamese grade 3, volume 1 - Creative Horizon book series); Drawing colors, Harvesting words on the mountain (Vietnamese grade 4, volume 1 - Connecting knowledge with life book series); Natural house (Vietnamese grade 5, volume 2 - Kite book series)... Her poems have a pure, innocent language, rich in images, helping children develop their imagination. Coming to the exchange program with Khanh Hoa students, poet Bao Ngoc still maintains the style of "an older child" to chat and exchange with the children. Through the conversation about the beauty of the Vietnamese language, poet Bao Ngoc helped the children learn more about the good things, the beauty hidden in each word and voice. There, Vietnamese is not only a means of communication, but also contains the emotions, souls, cultural and historical values, and pride of many generations of Vietnamese people. The poet has instilled in the children the idea of the value of Vietnamese for each person's development journey; the great role of Vietnamese in life, work, study, and communication with international friends. "Listening to Ms. Bao Ngoc share about the beauty of Vietnamese, I was really impressed by the way she analyzed the meaning of why Vietnamese is the mother tongue. The things she said were so close and simple, which helped me understand better and I felt that I needed to be responsible for contributing to preserving the beauty and purity of Vietnamese in the process of learning and daily communication", said Nguyen An Nhien (student of Trung Vuong Secondary School, Nha Trang City).

During the program, poet Bao Ngoc also shared information and gave suggestions for students to apply in writing their entries for the 2025 UPU Letter Writing Competition. With the theme of this year's competition "Imagine you are the ocean. Write a letter to someone explaining why and how they should take good care of you", the poet discussed with the students how to think about the topic, gave specific suggestions in expressing the content of the article, the way of expression, the form of writing... In addition, poet Bao Ngoc also enthusiastically answered questions and issues that the students still had questions about. “When I decided to participate in the UPU Letter Writing Competition 2025, I was concerned about how to transform into a character to make an impression and what parts of the writing structure should be included. Through the discussion with Ms. Bao Ngoc, I have a better understanding of how to convey meaningful messages in my writing,” said Bui Gia Phuc (a student at Phan Chu Trinh Secondary School, Dien Khanh District).

For poet Bao Ngoc, meeting students in Khanh Hoa during the days before the Lunar New Year of At Ty is truly meaningful. The poet always considers herself an old person but has a childlike soul. Perhaps that is why, being able to talk, interact, and meet with the children, she considers it a time to have fun with young friends. “I spent my childhood living in the countryside with straw, rice fields soaked in the wind and sky with many young friends. The older I get, the more I realize that the soul of the countryside, the soul of the village, the soul of the country permeates me through rhyming poems. I love my homeland, love my people through poetry, music , through the beautiful things that have been anchored in my soul since childhood. Therefore, I want to continue those values through words, arrange the words so that the poems can reach the children, have fun with them, speak to them in the right “voice” that they want to listen to and love. The children in Khanh Hoa asked me many questions, shared many things that they were still wondering about in their thoughts. That is what gives me more energy on my journey to contribute a small part in making the Vietnamese language more beautiful”, poet Bao Ngoc shared.

In an effort to attract readers to the library, the Provincial Library has recently organized exchanges and conversations with writers and poets, as well as some activities that teach life skills. By inviting poet Bao Ngoc to exchange and share with students about very practical content that is truly meaningful in many aspects. “We always want to turn the Provincial Library into a cultural activity space, where students and readers of all ages can not only come to borrow and read books, but also meet, exchange, and share with each other about useful topics. In the coming time, we will try to connect with famous writers and poets who are loved by readers, and organize more attractive activities,” said Ms. Dinh Thi Ninh Trang - Director of the Provincial Library.

Poet Bao Ngoc's real name is Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, originally from Khoai Chau district ( Hung Yen province), graduated from Nguyen Du Writing School, course V (1993-1998). Published works include: Soul of Time (essay); Moon Wharf (poetry); Keeping Fire (poetry); Knocking on Heaven's Door (poetry); Thung May Class (poetry collection and short story).

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Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/202501/giao-luu-voi-nha-tho-bao-ngoc-ba24743/