Writer Trinh Quang Phu and his 28-year journey of 'Following His Footsteps'

"Perhaps no one sitting on this stage has ever met Uncle Ho, but only Professor, Doctor, writer Trinh Quang Phu is the luckiest person to have met Uncle Ho many times," said Colonel, poet, journalist Tran The Tuyen, former Editor-in-Chief of Saigon Giai Phong newspaper.

On the afternoon of October 19, within the framework of activities During the Ho Chi Minh City Culture and Arts Days , the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association organized a meeting to discuss the memoir Following His Footsteps with writer Trinh Quang Phu.

Attending were Ms. Dinh Thi Thanh Thuy - Deputy Head of Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, writer Trinh Bich Ngan - President of Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association and many artists.

"Not only in Following His Footsteps but throughout his life, writer Trinh Quang Phu always writes with all his heart," said President of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association Trinh Bich Ngan.

Photo: QUYNH TRAN

The work Following in His Footsteps by writer Trinh Quang Phu is a unique historical memoir, recreating the most important and arduous period in the life of President Ho Chi Minh : the 30-year journey abroad to find a way to save the country (1911 - 1941). The book has been reprinted 8 times, with 13,000 copies, and an English version of 1,000 copies is about to be released, demonstrating its appeal and influence on the public. Presenting flowers and congratulating the author on his success, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association Trinh Bich Ngan hopes that the writer will continue to have more works written about Uncle Ho.

"Not only in Following His Footsteps but throughout his life, writer Trinh Quang Phu always writes with all his heart. Stories about Uncle Ho - a life devoted to the people and the country forever spread his warmth and immense love, helping us live better, living with compassion will help us share more", writer Bich Ngan shared.

28-year journey to complete the memoir In His Footsteps

Writer Trinh Quang Phu said: "After the work From Sen village to Nha Rong wharf was first published by Literature Publishing House (in 1996), I visited and presented it to Prime Minister Pham Van Dong, whom I still affectionately call: Uncle To. During that intimate conversation, Uncle To told me: 'You should spend time researching the 30 years Uncle spent abroad. The 30 years from the day Uncle left Saigon until the day he returned home are a very attractive treasure, my child'."

The writer continued: "General Vo Nguyen Giap also reminded me to research and write about Uncle Ho's time abroad. I went to France, England, America, and China... I went to many places like France, Russia, and China dozens of times. There was a long period, combined with business trips, I took the opportunity to collect, and later I went to 'check'. I went, collected, took notes, and then compared over 28 years, studying more than 8,000 pages of documents (including French secret police files) and reading hundreds of books written about Uncle Ho."

The work Following in His Footsteps by writer Trinh Quang Phu has been reprinted 8 times.

Photo: Publishing House

Why did you decide to choose the memoir genre to express? Writer Trinh Quang Phu did not hide his concerns. "A memoir must be accurate and authentic. I want to choose the memoir genre to soften the addresses, wharves, houses, events..., because through literature they will appear more vividly. A memoir or memoir, closely combining the authenticity of historical documents with vivid literary language, helps readers feel the image of Uncle Ho, both great and close and humane."

As a close brother like a family member, poet - journalist Tran The Tuyen was happy with writer Trinh Quang Phu's joy when his work was continuously reprinted: "Mr. Phu came from a revolutionary family and joined the revolution from a young age, going through many resistance wars and still returning intact. Uncle Ho traveled to find a way to save the country for 30 years, while Mr. Phu also quietly followed in his footsteps for 28 years to write about Uncle Ho. He chose a memoir that expressed both literary spirit and journalistic character, specific people, specific space... making the work attractive to readers."

Writer Trinh Quang Phu (middle), poet - journalist Tran The Tuyen (right), and Colonel Nguyen Manh Cuong are interacting with the audience.

Colonel Nguyen Manh Cuong - Director of the Southern branch of the Army Publishing House said that after the work Following the Footsteps of the People received the second prize of the 4th Ho Chi Minh City Creativity Award in the field of Culture - Arts and a "record" reprint, the author has just completed the manuscript of The Man Who Traveled Across Mountains and Rivers , writing about his childhood until he left Saigon to find a way to save the country, preparing to publish in the near future. "Writing about Uncle Ho is very difficult, because Uncle Ho is always in the hearts of every Vietnamese person, so it must be expressed in the most vivid way. There have been many great authors and writers who have written about Uncle Ho, so writing well is extremely difficult, but writer Trinh Quang Phu has done it excellently...", Colonel Nguyen Manh Cuong affirmed.

Before becoming a writer, Professor Trinh Quang Phu had been working in the field of journalism since the 1960s. He started as a correspondent and reporter for major newspapers, including Tien Phong, and grew up in the midst of war.

Throughout his literary career, he was awarded many prestigious awards such as: second prize for the reportage of the Cuu Quoc newspaper in 1962; Ho Chi Minh City Literature Award for reportage in 2019; and Mekong International Literature Award in 2022.

The work " The Writer and the Love Sent Back" won the A prize. Studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and lifestyle (2021 - 2025 period) and Foreign Journal received the Ho Chi Minh City Creativity Award in 2023.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nha-van-trinh-quang-phu-va-hanh-trinh-28-nam-theo-dau-chan-nguoi-185251020074920382.htm