2 poetic phenomena in Ho Chi Minh City
At the book launch event for the poetry collection "Germany - Winter Fairy Tales" (Phanbook and The World Publishing House), held at Nam Thi House last weekend, many were surprised by the large number of readers of all ages in attendance. The anthology includes 108 poems on various themes by 17 prominent authors who have influenced German literature, primarily writing from the 18th to the mid-20th century. Despite the price of 250,000 VND per copy, almost everyone who attended bought one.
As a young writer and poet, Trinh Nam Tran (born in 1992) said she was moved and surprised to attend the launch of her poetry collection "Germany - Winter Fairy Tales." Besides the impressive size and meticulousness of the collection, the presence of translator Phan Kim Ho, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Xanh, and researcher Bui Van Nam Son was a rare opportunity to gain knowledge about literature in general and poetry in particular.
“In the past, when I was young, I thought I would live my life to the fullest with my passion for poetry. But then, the pressures of life made me sometimes think about giving up on literature, or sometimes feel that I was too empty and pragmatic. It is sessions like this that remind me why I started and that persevering is entirely possible,” shared young poet Trinh Nam Tran.
Not long before that, poet Nguyen Thien Ngan also made an impression with her poetry collection "You Are a Shadow of a Noble Bird" (Phuc Hung Books and Literature Publishing House). This collection marked her return to the literary scene after a 7-year absence. At the recent book signing event at Ca Chep Bookstore, a large number of readers lined up to get the author's autograph. Notably, besides young readers, many older readers also attended.
Despite its cover price of 385,000 VND, the book "Người là một bóng chim khuê tú" (The Beautiful Woman) sold out in just one week after its release, and a new edition is currently being prepared. Journalist Trung Nghĩa, who pre-ordered the poetry collection early, believes this is a very positive phenomenon at a time when the domestic book market is facing many difficulties, with fluctuating and somewhat saturated purchasing power.
“I think the book market desperately needs new impetus, new works with value and strong sales like Nguyen Thien Ngan’s poetry collection. Our lives always need poetry, diverse perspectives, and positive messages. Good poetry always receives recognition and empathy from the community,” journalist Trung Nghia expressed.
Bringing poetry to the public.
Starting this March, director Marcus Manh Cuong Vu will be producing a series of community art programs called "Reading Poetry Together." The first program will introduce the poetry collection "Time Consumes Me with All My Senses" (Da Nang Publishing House) by author Linh Van, born in the 1980s. At the program, readers and the author will share and discuss the debut poetry collection under the guidance of director Marcus Manh Cuong Vu. "We are organizing this activity with the goal of bringing poetry and poets closer to readers through direct interaction. All of this aims to create a new environment for accessing poetry and exploring contemporary poetic voices," said director Marcus Manh Cuong Vu.
Although some still argue that "poetry is printed to be given away," in reality, poetry has always had its own audience. The challenge lies in creating a connection between poetry and the public, and ensuring its successful distribution, just like other publications. Journalist Trung Nghia believes that the success of "The Nobleman is a Beautiful Bird" is a combination of many factors.
Besides being a meticulously crafted and uniquely styled work of art, the poetry collection also comes from a talented author with a consistent creative output and a large, long-standing readership who appreciate her poetry. “The most crucial element remains that the poetry must be good, the author must put effort into it, and it must be loved by many readers… In addition, marketing, communication, promotion, and distribution must be relevant to the times and closely integrated with social media platforms,” journalist Trung Nghia explains.
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