Memoirs are always a hot topic.

Books about/by celebrities are not unfamiliar to readers. Many titles retain their appeal even years after their release, and some are reprinted immediately upon release and appear on the bestseller list.

Books about famous people that have been reprinted three or more times - Photo: Publisher

Books about famous people are often referred to by several specialized names depending on the perspective and writing style. These include diaries, memoirs, autobiographies, and character portraits.

At Phuong Nam Book, there are autobiographies and memoirs that consistently sell well even though they were published a long time ago, such as: Tam Thanh and Loc Doi (memoirs of Meritorious Artist Thanh Loc); Le Cong Vinh's autobiography - Minute 89 ; and Madam Nhu, The Power of the Dragon Lady (a biographical book about Mrs. Tran Le Xuan).

Fahasa's Deputy General Director, Pham Thi Hoa, told Tuoi Tre newspaper that the memoir of former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh is consistently among Fahasa's best-selling books. Representatives from Omega+ and the National Political Publishing House and Truth (the two co-publishers) stated that the total number of copies published to date is 48,000.

Recently, veteran artists such as Huu Chau and Xuan Hinh have also successively released biographical sketches and autobiographies, receiving great attention from readers. Why does this genre of books never lose its popularity in the market?

This wasn't an easy task for two people as busy as Loc and I. Besides our individual work sessions, I also had to research and read many articles and documents about Loc. Because this wasn't just Loc's story, but also the story of theater people in South Vietnam after the country's reunification.

Writer Minh Ngoc talks about ghostwriting Thanh Loc's memoir.

It's not just a personal story.

Many publishing houses report that best-selling memoirs and autobiographies often revolve around famous figures with well-known achievements.

What attracts readers to these books is not just the story of an individual, but also the many details surrounding them, related to events, historical periods, social contexts, and multifaceted perspectives on the character's field of activity.

At Tre Publishing House, books about famous figures that have been reprinted three or more times include *Vo Nguyen Giap - The Spirit of a Century*, *Nguyen Van Linh - A Journey with History*, *Tran Van Giau - A Milestone of a Century*, *The Journey to the Independence Palace*, etc.

The recently published autobiography of McNamara's son, * Because Our Fathers Lied* , has garnered attention from readers interested in learning about the Vietnam War from the perspective of an American family.

"To create valuable and engaging memoirs and autobiographies, we believe it's also necessary to pay attention to the tone, language, and character of each region and period. Readers will clearly sense the dialects, distinctive forms of address, and cultural elements of that era through the books."

As in the biographical sketch of Huu Chau - The Golden Cradle of Storms , readers will not only learn about the life and career of the artist but also feel the historical and cultural context of old Saigon.

"This book continues to maintain consistent interest from various reader groups, including long-time fans and young people interested in performing arts, who want to understand the artist better beyond what the press usually reports," commented a representative from Phanbook, the book's publisher.

Memoirs of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Binh - Photo: Publisher

These memoir projects take decades to complete.

According to Trinh Hai Phuong, Deputy Director of Phuong Nam Book, each autobiography or memoir requires a significant investment of time, effort, and expense because it reflects the entire life and career of the subject.

The Golden Cradle in Storms, memoir of People's Artist Kim Cương - Photo: H.LAM

"Like the memoir ' Living for Myself, Living for Others' by People's Artist Kim Cương. If writing about the life of an ordinary person is difficult, imagine how much more challenging it would be to write about the life of a famous person known as a 'legendary stage actress'."

That's probably why, from the initial discussions to the book's publication, the project took almost 10 years, with numerous pauses and even changes in the author.

"After completing the draft, the editorial team and the artist spent more than eight months editing and selecting images before it could be officially printed. This was truly a long and elaborate project, requiring a lot of dedication from the artist and the team," Mr. Phuong said.

As for the book "Huu Chau - The Golden Cradle of Storms," ​​it not only simply records the stories of Meritorious Artist Huu Chau but also intertwines the perspective and narratives of author Thanh Thuy.

Thanh Loc's memoir, "Tam Thanh and Loc Doi," and a biographical sketch of Huu Chau - Photo: H.LAM

Achieving the thematic unity and consistent emotional flow throughout the book was the result of numerous meetings and conversations between Phanbook, artist Huu Chau, and author Thanh Thuy.

The process involved approximately one year of dialogue and collaboration between the artist and the ghostwriter. Prior to that, Huu Chau and Phanbook had spent nearly three years preparing for this book, after many years of deliberation by Huu Chau before deciding to write a book about himself and the Thanh Minh - Thanh Nga family.

Phanbook and author Thanh Thủy have undertaken a process of searching for and compiling visual materials and content from many reputable sources. Some stories in the book are referenced from the memoirs of Thanh Minh Thanh Nga on the Bảo Quốc - Hồng Loan YouTube channel, while others come from newspapers, specific individuals, etc.

To compile these 150 images, in addition to those directly provided by artist Huu Chau and photographer Quoc Huy, Phanbook also gathered images from authors, writers, journalists, reviews, researchers, and image collectors.

"This work requires immense patience at every stage, from researching the story, gathering materials, interviewing subjects, selecting images to the editing process. We play a connecting role with the artist Huu Chau's family, colleagues, and students to enrich the portrait of the artist from multiple perspectives. Behind-the-scenes stories and previously unpublished photos are all proposed for inclusion," said a representative from Phanbook's media team.

Authenticity in every story.

According to book publishers, one of the biggest challenges in writing and editing memoirs is ensuring both a vivid narrative and authenticity in every account. Inaccurate storytelling or a lack of restraint can dilute the impact, while excessive embellishment can detract from the storyteller's naturalness.

Next, the writer must also understand the character and know how to explore and raise issues during the writing process.

Having co-authored autobiographies for Duc Phuc and hot girl Huyen Anh, writer Vo Thu Huong said that when writing books about celebrities, whether they are beloved or controversial figures, the value of the story lies in what it brings to the reader: "For example, when writing about Huyen Anh, I understand that her fame came from the uproar surrounding the 'Ba Tung' image she cultivated."

Therefore, I tried not to exploit the sensational story but to follow your step-by-step personal development and self-improvement to make the book more worthwhile to read."

Ho Lam

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhung-hoi-ky-luon-luon-nong-20250730215447761.htm