French writer Camille Laurens meets Vietnamese readers

Photo caption — Ms. Camille Laurens enjoyed the song "One Round of Vietnam" performed on the monochord.

“Literature is joy, freedom, and my companion since childhood,” Camille Laurens opened the conversation with simple confidences that contained the philosophy of life of someone who has devoted his whole life to literature.

Born in Dijon (France), she graduated with a master's degree in modern literature, taught in Normandy and Morocco before settling in Paris, and is one of the representative female voices of contemporary French literature, having won the Femina Prize and the Renaudot Prize for high school students with her work In Arms (2000).

The writer said that her journey to literature was a journey in search of freedom: “I grew up in the context of the strong feminist movement in France. I understood that the right to love, to speak and to live are the core values of freedom. I write to affirm that.”

Camille Laurens' works such as Trong nhung vong tay, Tinh ca em cam, Con gai or Boi uoc all revolve around the fate of women, love and the desire to be understood. These books have been published by the Vietnamese Women's Publishing House, contributing to bringing Vietnamese readers closer to contemporary French literature. On this occasion, she returned to Vietnam to talk with readers about her new novel Boi uoc, marking a new chapter in the literary dialogue between the two countries.

At the meeting, Camille Laurens expressed her appreciation for the young translator Huynh Huu Phuoc, who translated her works into Vietnamese. “He read, felt and understood women. If Vietnamese men and the whole world read to understand the women around them, that is the happiest thing that literature can bring,” said Camille Laurens.

For his part, Huynh Huu Phuoc shared: “I started translating “Con gai” when I was only 22 years old. When translating “Boi uoc”, I felt more deeply the spirit of freedom and the literary sophistication of Ms. Laurens”. He believes that translation is a process that goes hand in hand with creativity, helping the work expand its life in a new language.

Dr. Ha Thanh Van, comparative literature researcher: ""Broken Promise" is a testament to the closeness between two literary traditions, where emotions, romance and the desire for freedom blend with the spirit of feminism."

Ms. Ngo Thi Hong Anh, Head of Library of Wellspring Saigon International Bilingual School, commented: “Many of my students, when reading "The Daughter", said that they saw themselves in it. Literature touches people's hearts, transcending all borders.”

Writer Bich Ngan, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, affirmed: “French literature has been present in Vietnam for nearly a century. Many generations of Vietnamese readers have been fascinated by it, from Balzac, Hugo, Maupassant to Duras. The humanistic values and spirit of freedom in French literature have contributed to nurturing the soul and creative thinking of the Vietnamese people. And today, with the presence of Camille Laurens, that exchange continues to be written with a love of contemporary literature.”

Closing the meeting, Camille Laurens shared: "The path of a writer seems lonely but is actually not lonely, because human emotions and experiences always transcend all borders."

The exchange and conversation event with the author, jointly organized by the Vietnam Women's Publishing House Branch, the French Institute in Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, added a new chapter in the nearly hundred-year journey of French-Vietnamese literary exchange, a journey of freedom, understanding and belief in the power of language and humanity.

According to VNA

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/nha-van-phap-camille-laurens-gap-go-ban-doc-viet-nam-524475.html