Vietnam, France continue to strengthen cooperation in comic book publishing

The Comic Creation Contest is jointly organized by the French Institute in Vietnam and Kim Dong Publishing House, honoring creativity, connecting French-Vietnamese culture and promoting comic art in the community.

"Essay on Balut Eggs" by author Tran Khac Khoan won First Prize in the First Comic Writing Contest organized by the French Institute in Vietnam and Kim Dong Publishing House.

It is a story about a student who wrote a simple but touching essay about his mother’s job of selling balut eggs. The essay had a strong impact on an artist, reviving in his heart the memory of his father.

According to artist Ta Huy Long - a judge of the contest, the work was highly appreciated thanks to "the professional way of expressing in the narrative, the way of developing the theme, the rhythm of the story." The author brings the story close to current life, connecting both young readers and adults who see themselves in it.

Second Prize was awarded to author Cao Hoang Anh Thu (born in 1999, Ho Chi Minh City) with the work "Red Pencil" ; Third Prize was awarded to author Tran Thao Nguyen (born in 1996, Ho Chi Minh City) with the work "Lockdown in a foreign land" ; 2 Encouragement Prizes were awarded to 2 groups of authors Ngo Thi Ngoc Anh, Vuong Nhien Khang with the work "Tiem thuy truyen" ; and group of authors Nguyen Hai Nam, Do Dinh Cuong with the work "Bo/ Finding Evergreen" .

Ms. Rachida Dati, French Minister of Culture, answered the press at the event. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)

The entries are diverse in theme and style, demonstrating the creativity and enthusiasm of authors of all ages, promising to bring a breath of fresh air to the domestic comic market.

With the support of the French Institute in Vietnam, Kim Dong Publishing House has published award-winning works, introducing them to a wide range of readers through two story collections , “Essays on Balut Eggs” and the anthologies “Red Pencil, Lockdown in Foreign Lands & Story Rental Shop.”

Attending the award ceremony and launching the award-winning comic collection on May 27, Ms. Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture of France, said that this event honors the cultural cooperation between Vietnam and France in a priority cultural industry, which is the publishing industry, especially the comic genre - a genre that France and the French people especially love.

“The power of comics is their wide reach to all audiences, as a form of popular culture, suitable for all generations,” said Minister Rachida Dati./.

With the desire to find Vietnamese comic authors and artists and develop Vietnamese comic art, the first Comic Creation Competition took place from June to November 2024, attracting more than 100 works from comic authors across the country. The jury included prestigious French and Vietnamese authors such as Clément Baloup, Maxime Péroz, Ta Huy Long and Nguyen Thanh Phong.

Following the success of the competition, the second Comic Creation Competition (2025) is currently accepting entries until the end of June 2025. The competition is not only an opportunity for comic authors and artists to showcase their talents, but also contributes to building the comic creation community and developing this art book genre in Vietnam.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-phap-tiep-tuc-tang-cuong-hop-tac-xuat-ban-truyen-tranh-post1041045.vnp