Digital technology pressures and changing reading culture
At recent seminars and publishing networking events held in Ho Chi Minh City, many experts, publishers, translators, and representatives of international cultural organizations from Vietnam, Germany, France, and China shared their insights on the challenges facing translated literature and the publishing industry in the digital environment.
According to Claudia Kaiser, Vice President of the Frankfurt Book Fair (Germany), the global publishing industry is facing profound changes not only in technology but also in the content consumption behavior of readers, especially young people.
One of the most prominent trends today is the shift in how young readers are approached in Europe, especially in Germany. Many young adult book series are investing heavily in design, visuals, and reading experiences to encourage young people to return to reading. According to Claudia Kaiser, in the context of the increasing dominance of social media and short-video platforms, the format of books has become a crucial factor in attracting young readers.
Alongside this, the development of technologies such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) is also creating many changes for the publishing industry. AI is now involved in many stages such as content writing, book translation, text summarization, and automated voiceover production for audiobooks.
However, according to Claudia Kaiser, along with opportunities, AI also poses many challenges related to intellectual property rights, copyright, and ethical use of technology. “It’s important not only to learn how to use AI but also to understand how to use AI responsibly,” Claudia Kaiser emphasized, adding that AI education needs to start early for children and the younger generation in the digital environment.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Thaihabooks, believes that audiobooks and spoken books are becoming a strong trend in the global publishing industry. However, the current challenge lies in building a habit of paying for quality content in a context where users are accustomed to accessing it for free on the internet. According to Dr. Nguyen Manh Hung, this is not just a matter of technology but also relates to awareness of copyright and the value of knowledge in the digital environment.
Beyond technological factors, many experts also believe that "green publishing" will become a key trend in the book industry in the future. From printing materials and production processes to distribution strategies, the publishing industry is facing the need to transform towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly direction.
Furthermore, the combination of books and films is also considered a promising direction. According to experts, in the future, books and films will no longer be two separate fields but can support each other to expand the reach of content, while creating more opportunities to bring Vietnamese literary works to a younger audience.
The digital environment is not only impacting traditional publishing, but is also forcing the book industry to change its approach to young readers. At the first Francophone Comic Book Festival held in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Etienne Ranaivoson, Consul General of France in Ho Chi Minh City, stated that young people today are increasingly accustomed to receiving content quickly, visually, and richly on digital platforms. This forces the publishing industry to seek new forms of storytelling, combining literature, art, and technology to retain readers.
According to Etienne Ranaivoson, comics are no longer just a literary genre but are gradually becoming an important creative industry in the digital age. “We are not only here to celebrate a literary genre but also to support a creative industry with great potential,” Etienne Ranaivoson emphasized. Therefore, France and Belgium are promoting various training, exchange, and publishing collaboration activities to help young talents adapt to the new publishing environment.
The problem of copyright and human resources in literary translation.
According to Ms. Trinh Bich Ngan, President of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers Association, in the past nearly 60 years, only about 150 Vietnamese literary works have been translated and published in China, including some representative works such as *Truyen Kieu*, *So Do*, and *Chi Pheo*.
However, most of these books are no longer widely available in the Chinese book market. Ms. Ngan believes that the biggest gap currently lies in the lack of professional literary translators. Yet, Vietnam has yet to make systematic investments in the field of literary translation, from human resource training to long-term development strategies.
"While many countries have built up professional literary translators decades ago, Vietnam still lacks both human resources and a long-term development direction for this field," Ms. Trinh Bich Ngan observed.
From the perspective of a publisher, translator Nguyen Le Chi, Director of Chi Culture Joint Stock Company (Chibooks), believes that bringing Vietnamese books abroad is not simply a commercial activity related to copyright, but also a journey of carrying Vietnamese culture, lifestyle, and identity to international readers.
According to Ms. Le Chi, the biggest challenge in literary translation lies not only in the translation itself but also in conveying the cultural spirit and depth of the work. “The most difficult thing is how to convey the cultural essence and the profound meaning within the words. We have to consult with experts in Vietnamese to check whether the translation fully reflects the literary content,” Ms. Le Chi shared.
Regarding this issue, Mr. Ha Khai Tuan, Deputy Head of the Copyright Department at Guangxi Science and Technology Publishing House (China), stated that besides translation quality, copyright protection in the digital environment is also becoming a major challenge for the publishing industry. According to Mr. Ha Khai Tuan, combating copyright infringement cannot rely solely on regulatory agencies but requires the cooperation of many parties, from publishers and platform operators to the awareness of readers themselves.
Meanwhile, Ms. Nguyen Le Chi stated that copyright infringement in Vietnam remains quite common, while many people are not fully aware that downloading pirated books or sharing unauthorized works on the internet also constitutes copyright infringement.
According to Ms. Chi, publishing a book requires significant investment of time, effort, and expense. If copyright infringement persists, not only will publishers be affected, but authors themselves may also lose their motivation to create. "The harm is long-lasting. If publishers no longer want to produce books, and authors become discouraged and don't want to continue writing, then creativity will wither," Ms. Nguyen Le Chi shared.
From stories about AI, digital copyright, and international copyright exchanges, it's clear that translated literature is facing significant changes in the technological age. When content can be translated and disseminated with just a click, the roles of translators, editors, and publishers become increasingly important in preserving the cultural depth of the work. The challenge for translated literature today is not simply translation; it's about ensuring Vietnamese works reach a wider audience while retaining their unique cultural identity.
Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/van-hoc-dich-truoc-thach-thuc-moi-truong-so.htm
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