From left to right: writer Tieu Quyen, Nguyen Dinh Khoa, Vo Thu Huong and Tran Duc Tin interacting in a panel discussion.
Attending the seminar were Mr. Le Van Minh, Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee; Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Nguyen, Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee; and leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, as well as writers and poets from many generations.
Ho Chi Minh City, a fertile ground for young writers.
Opening the discussion, the Chairwoman of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers' Association, Trinh Bich Ngan, expressed her admiration for the working style of the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Tran Luu Quang, at the recent conference summarizing 50 years of literature and art in Ho Chi Minh City. Instead of delivering a nine-page speech, he chose to engage in dialogue with artists and writers.
Therefore, in the panel discussion on the morning of October 21st, she wanted to dedicate the forum to young people, allowing them to freely express their opinions and share their concerns on the journey of literary creation.
Writer Vo Thu Huong shares her thoughts on young writers in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: QUOC THANH
Nguyen Dinh Khoa made his mark by winning the Young Author Award of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association in 2024 with his work "Variant".
He started writing about 10 years ago, through the 20-Year-Old Literature Competition. To this day, Khoa sees Ho Chi Minh City as extremely dynamic and open, with the largest readership in the country and a very liberal spirit, readily accepting many new topics and different literary styles, which gives young people like Khoa more motivation to experiment in their writing.
A young, dynamic city also provides favorable conditions, with many new issues for young people to explore and incorporate into their works.
Young poet Tran Duc Tin believes that literature originates from humanity and its goal is also directed towards humanity. When he first started writing, he had many doubts and uncertainties, but fortunately, he received sharing and encouragement from those who came before him.
"My mentors advised me to just write about myself, to delve deep into my being, and I would find everyone in it," Tran Duc Tin recounted, adding that after the merger, Ho Chi Minh City possesses an even stronger writing force. With the previous generation having already established itself, today's young people must strive to develop their potential to the fullest, building upon that foundation.
We need competitions to discover young writing talents.
Dr. Ho Khanh Van and Dr. La Mai Thi Gia from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City, shared their thoughts on the Literary Entrepreneurship Award that the university is actively developing to create a platform for discovering talent among young student writers from various universities.
Ms. Khanh Van has been involved with the Literary Entrepreneurship Award from its inception until now, its fourth year. Ms. Van believes this award is extremely meaningful. There have been newspapers and competitions for students such as the Muc Tim newspaper (with the Vom Me Xanh group), the Ao Trang newspaper, the New Pen competition in the Tuoi Tre newspaper...
It's fertile ground for young writers to develop their abilities, both pursuing their passion and earning royalties, thus promoting the literary movement in schools. While there are still some literary competitions, those specifically for high school and university students are extremely rare.
With the Literary Entrepreneurship program, the organizers also pondered whether young people still love literature.
"I'm feeling optimistic now. On social media, the way you use language might have made me a little worried, but once you started writing, it was a pleasant surprise. You used language very creatively, deeply rooted in your national identity, expressing your concerns about your generation, your homeland, and your family. This made us happy because we felt you had grown so much on the page," Ms. Van confided.
She hopes that the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports , the Ho Chi Minh City Writers' Association, and other relevant departments will pay attention to creating more opportunities for students, thereby discovering and nurturing writing talents from a very early age.
Writer Luu Thanh Tuu brought 20 young writers from the former Binh Duong province to the seminar. He confided that after the merger with Ho Chi Minh City, he and the writers from the former Binh Duong were very happy because the associations, specifically the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, had shown great care and support in helping everyone integrate into the new environment.
Mr. Tuu observed that Ho Chi Minh City literature often features writing styles from the Mekong Delta, while those from the Southeast region are less common. He suggested that young writers should explore industrial zones and the lives of workers to gain different perspectives and create new works in the context of Ho Chi Minh City's expansion.
Writer Vo Thu Huong, who won the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association's Children's Literature Award in 2022, affirmed that Ho Chi Minh City possesses a large force of writers spanning generations from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, and even includes 15 and 16-year-olds still in school who are joining the literary scene.
"They are like waves following one another but not overwhelming each other, creating a persistent flow. Everyone has the freedom to express their individuality and creativity. We have a highly motivating environment where each writer feels compelled to write and create," said Vo Thu Huong.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/manh-dat-mau-mo-de-nha-van-tre-phat-huy-tai-nang-2025102209151543.htm
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