Honoring the winners of the 'Portrait of Life' Writing Contest

Speaking at the Award Ceremony, poet Tran Dang Khoa - Vice President of the Vietnam Writers Association , Editor-in-Chief of Writers & Life Magazine, Head of the Contest Jury, said that the "Portrait of Life" Writing Contest is a form of literary portrait. Different from reminiscences, records about a specific person, as a literary genre, literary portrait describes a specific person with a definite concept of personality. The writing method of literary portrait is the method of memoir, it does not focus on plot.

Honoring the winners of the life portrait writing contest image 1 — Poet Tran Dang Khoa speaks at the award ceremony.

Writers use their skills of observation, selection of details, gestures, language, including works, postures, and memories to reconstruct the spiritual face of a person, often a writer, artist, or famous social activist. Sometimes, through the fate, events, or specific talents of a certain character, readers can still visualize a part of the life and historical movement of a period, a country, or an era.

Honoring the winners of the life portrait writing contest image 2 — The authors received the Fourth Prize of the Competition.

Poet Tran Dang Khoa frankly admitted that it is worth noting that the theme of the Life Portrait writing contest is life in all aspects, however, the number of articles about portraits of artists and writers accounts for more than half, and the remaining half is also the number of articles about managers, scientists , and businesses. There are really too few articles about direct workers, ethnic minorities in remote mountainous areas... That is also a limitation of this contest.

Honoring the winners of the life portrait writing contest image 3 — The Organizing Committee awarded Third Prize to the winning authors.

"However, through the contest, we have had a rather large, rich, and vivid picture of social life, both past and present. Furthermore, the diversity of writers and writers participating in this contest shows the close attention and non-indifference to life of writers throughout the country. That is also an affirmation of the beauty of literature in life," poet Tran Dang Khoa shared.

Honoring the winners of the life portrait writing contest image 4 — Poet Tran Dang Khoa awarded Second Prize to the winning authors.

Highly appreciating the works in the contest, poet Nguyen Quang Thieu - Chairman of the Vietnam Writers Association said that in the process of economic recovery before and after the pandemic, in the long journey of developing social life, in most fields, professions, and localities across the country, there have appeared noble people, touching, bright and attractive stories. The authors have exploited, discovered, portrayed, and recorded those achievements and beauties.

"The purpose of this contest is a step of realization, for writers to step into life. Because writers leaving life means leaving the essence of literature. Without the reality of life, literature will become hopeless and very distant," poet Nguyen Quang Thieu emphasized.

Honoring the winners of the portrait writing contest image 5 — Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu and poet Huu Thinh awarded First Prize to author Y Nguyen.

The contest lasts for 2 years from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2023 with 285 works by 173 domestic and foreign authors participating. Among them are writers who are very familiar to readers, but there are also authors who are writing for the first time. Some are in their 80s and 90s, some are still students. The Organizing Committee of the Contest assessed that many authors are not professional writers, but their works are vivid and solid, proving that they are professional writers and they are standing on a fairly high level. Many famous writers, although not participating in the contest, also sent their works to enjoy the contest such as Do Chu, Nguyen Khac Phe, Vuong Trong, Duong Ky Anh...

List of award-winning authors and works
01 First Prize:
- Author Y Nguyen with works: Ngo Phan Luu, "literary mystery" of Phu land; "Wizard" of the podium; Nguyen Van Tho, writer and soldier.
02 Second Prizes:
- Author Vo Ba Cuong with works: Canh chim son tieu; So dau moi bien doc; Thanh Tung with "Thoi hoa doc".
- Author Hoang Quang Yen with works: The bright road named Tan Dau Quay; Poet Huu Thinh "life is quick, joy and sadness have not yet faded"; Y Phuong "Cut stones to build a high homeland".
03 Third Prizes:
- Author Luu Khanh Tho with works: Hoang Trung Thong - the man who broke the ground to invite the moon; Remembering Mr. Lam Rau; Luu Quang Vu and the legend Ta Dinh De.
- Author Tram Oanh with works: Farmer 4.0 and the treasure of mother nature; The old soldier and the cocoa production and consumption chain without traders.
- Author Dang Thanh Van with works: Living is to create; I row myself.
04 Fourth Prizes:
- Author Thai Sinh (1954-2022), with works: Po Sao Min, poet of the mountains; Giay ethnic poet and the melodies of sorrow.
- Author Pham Thi Toan with the work: She lived like that; Mother Le Thi Hue - the flowers of the sesbania.
- Author Hoang Ngoc Diep with the work: There was an old man... in his youth.
- Author Nhốc Hùng with the work: The monk guarding the mountain.

Hoa Giang

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