Although "roads are clear and sidewalks are unobstructed," practice has shown that some of the State's policies, while correct, have not been effectively implemented. To prevent Decree 350 from repeating this mistake, we believe the following points need further clarification:

The first issue is funding. Article 8 of Decree 350 clearly stipulates that funding is allocated according to "current legal regulations on the state budget and decentralization of the state budget" and "legitimate, voluntary contributions from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals." This is a general regulation, making it easy to circumvent. In reality, the amount of annual funding allocated to literary activities depends on the local leader or unit. Where leaders are passionate about literature, literary life flourishes; where they are not interested, literature remains weak and stagnant. Many literary programs and activities receive funding, but it is not suitable for the changing times. The value that a 30 million VND investment in a novel brought to an author 10 years ago is very different from the present day. This prevents the encouragement and development of literature from achieving a breakthrough. Therefore, there is a need for strict regulations regarding funding for literary development, ensuring it is secured and appropriate to the actual situation.

Illustration photo: baovephapluat.vn

Secondly, there is the issue of human resources. Decree 350 only mentions prioritizing support for young authors and ethnic minority authors in the publishing field (specifically for their debut works), but lacks a detailed and systematic plan or approach for training and nurturing future talent. Without a specific training roadmap and plan, it is very likely that the national literature will have generational gaps. One feasible solution is to increase the number of young writers (under 35 years old) participating in writing camps. However, in reality, very few organizations focus on inviting young participants to writing camps; if they were given opportunities to interact, learn, and have a quiet space and time to write, these young writers would undoubtedly make some progress in their creative work.

On the other hand, to effectively implement the contents of Decree 350, a significant number of highly qualified personnel with a deep understanding of literature are needed to advise and organize the work for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism—the agency primarily responsible for its implementation. The Ministry's dedicated personnel for this task are limited to a few departmental-level staff members. Another source of human resources is currently scattered across various agencies. They all have their own jobs, and any literary development activities they undertake are merely seasonal, done only when invited or when they feel like it, rather than being a primary duty with no accountability. We believe that a long-term, collaborative working mechanism is needed, a fundamental change in the mechanism of participation, coordination, and accountability between the relevant parties—specifically defining "person, task, time, progress, and effectiveness"—rather than the current haphazard approach.

After the decree is issued, it is crucial that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issue guiding circulars and specific decisions to avoid a situation where the initial draft looks good but the final details are flawed. For example, the establishment of the National Literature Award is absolutely necessary, but without clear, transparent regulations that conform to international practices, the award could easily give rise to negative practices, controversies, and would not live up to its national stature as its name suggests.

In summary, there is still much work to be done in the coming time, requiring the mobilization of the intellect and dedication of those knowledgeable in literature to bring the new Decree 350 into practice in a substantive way, fulfilling its role as a supportive "midwife" for the national literature.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/van-hoc-nghe-thuat/tranh-a-oi-phat-trien-van-hoc-1031072