Young people are excited to learn about the creative journey of the Vietnamese Quốc ngữ script.

As part of Vietnam's Book and Reading Culture Day 2023, Kim Dong Publishing House launched "The Vietnamese Call Me Father Alexandre de Rhodes - The Journey of Creating the Vietnamese National Script ." This is the first comic book to tell the story of the creation of the Vietnamese national script.

The seminar was attended by researcher Nguyen Quoc Vuong, Dr. Pham Thi Kieu Ly, and artist Ta Huy Long. The program attracted a large number of young people and book enthusiasts.

The panel discussion attracted a large number of readers (Photo: Organizing Committee).

During the panel discussion, the speakers shared the joys and challenges they encountered while completing the book. This was also an opportunity for young readers to gain a deeper understanding of the history of the formation of the Vietnamese Quốc ngữ script.

Artist Ta Huy Long revealed his desire to recreate the history of Vietnamese writing through the images and books he has created over the years. How can one easily access the past, convey the characters' thoughts to future generations, and explain the forgotten and unclear aspects of historical truth? That is also the reason why the authors chose a semi-fictional format to present this book.

The authors share about the process of completing the book (Photo: Ha My).

"The Vietnamese call me Father Alexandre De Rhodes - The Journey of Creating the Vietnamese National Script " is a semi-fiction comic book recounting the eventful life story of Father Alexandre De Rhodes, a priest from the Vatican who came to Vietnam in the 17th century and played a significant role in printing the first Vietnamese dictionary (Vietnamese-Portuguese-Latin Dictionary) in 1651.

The content of the book "Vietnamese People Call Me Father Alexandre de Rhodes - The Journey of Creating the Vietnamese National Script" is based on the doctoral dissertation of author Pham Thi Kieu Ly on the History of Grammar and Latin-based Writing of the Vietnamese Language (1615-1919) at Sorbonne Nouvelle University in 2018. It was subsequently edited and published as a book in 2022 by Les Indes Savantes Publishing House, France; as well as documents from archives in Europe and books written about the missionary journeys of missionaries.

The book "The Vietnamese Call Me Father Alexandre de Rhodes - The Journey of Creating the Vietnamese National Script" (Photo: Ha My).

The Vietnamese call me Father Alexandre De Rhodes - The Journey of Creating the Vietnamese National Script harmoniously combines two parts: the Alexandre De Rhodes Chronicle and the Chronicle of the Vietnamese National Script . The Alexandre De Rhodes Chronicle is presented in a comic book format, making it easy for readers to follow and understand the journey of creating the Vietnamese national script through the narrative of Alexandre De Rhodes. The Chronicle of the Vietnamese National Script takes readers back in time, exploring the journey of the Vietnamese national script into the lives of the Vietnamese people.

In addition, to help readers better understand the phonetic transcription of the Vietnamese language, the authors have also created a special interview with three prominent figures in the creation of the Vietnamese Quốc ngữ script: Alexandre De Rhodes, Francisco De Pina, and Gaspar do Amaral, discussing the process of creating the Latin-based Vietnamese writing system.

Through carefully selected, thrilling and unique details recounting the creation and development of the Latin-based Vietnamese writing system – a language familiar and still deeply connected to each of us today – "The Vietnamese Call Me Father Alexandre de Rhodes – The Journey of Creating the Vietnamese National Script" promises to be a valuable resource for young people to better understand the Vietnamese language, igniting a love for the beautiful language of the Vietnamese people.

Ha My

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/van-hoa/gioi-tre-hao-hung-tim-hieu-ve-hanh-trinh-sang-tao-chu-quoc-ngu-20230423031611504.htm