To mark the international conference introducing Vietnamese literature to the world (January 5-10), Tuoi Tre Cuoi Tuan reviews the impact Vietnamese literature is making internationally.

From the left: writers Phan Thi Vang Anh, Le Minh Khue, Ho Anh Thai and Nguyen Huy Thiep at the Gothenburg International Book Fair in Sweden 2003.

In the early 1990s, a number of Vietnamese writers and translators made use of their English expertise and contacts in trying to introduce Vietnamese literature abroad.

At that time, the US administration hadn’t lifted its embargo on Vietnam. The first person who went to the US was writer Le Luu with his novel “Thoi Xa Vang” (A Distant Past), followed by Bao Ninh’ with his work “Noi Buon Chien Trang” (Sorrow of War).

Other writers whose books were introduced in the US are Ho Anh Thai, Le Minh Khue, Nguyen Quang Thieu, Phan Thanh Hao and Nguyen Nguyet Cam. Their US partners are writer Wayne Karlin, poet Kevin Bowen and translators Rosemary Nguyen and Peter Zinoman.

The first big project was initiated by Ho Anh Thai, Le Minh Khue, Wayne Karlin and Truong Vu, which collected 40 short stories by 40 writers about the war. The contributions came from three sides: Vietnam, the US and the community of overseas Vietnamese. The resulting 500-page “The Other Side of Heaven” was published in 1995 by the Curbstone Press and has been highly regarded internationally.

This book introduces short stories by the following Vietnamese writers: Le Minh Khue, Bao Ninh, Da Nga, Ho Anh Thai, Le Luu, Ma Van Khang, Ngo Tu Lap, Nguyen Huy Thiep, Nguyen Quang Lap, Nguyen Quang Thieu, Vu Bao and Xuan Thieu.

At the same time as this project, the Yale University sent translator Rosemary Nguyen to Vietnam to choose short stories for theVan Nghe newspaper for translation into English.

In 1997, “News Stories from Vietnam Writers’ Union Newspaper” was published, introducing works by eight writers - Nguyen Quang Than (two stories), Da Ngan, Tran Trung Chinh, Ngo Ngoc Boi, Le Van Thao, Pham Hoa, Kim Sa Trung and Nguyen Quang Lap (one each). The book is in both Vietnamese and English. This is believed to be the only bilingual book about Vietnamese literature published in the US so far.

Meanwhile, translators Nguyen Nguyet Cam and Peter Zinoman quietly translated Vu Trong Phung’s “So Do” (Dumb Luck) novel into English. This book was published in June 2002 by the University of Michigan Press. Meanwhile, other groups translated Ho Xuan Huong’s verses and poems of modern poets into English to publish in the US.

After the first successful project, the group consisting of Wayne Karlin, Ho Anh Thai, Le Minh Khue and Phan Thanh Hao implemented another project. “Love after War” which was published in 2003. It’s 640 pages, introduced works by 45 Vietnamese writers.

Besides writers already introduced in the first book, and the bilingual book translated by Rosemary Nguyen, this work introduced many more representing three generations of writers in Vietnam.

These included: Bui Ngoc Tan, Chu Van, Doan Le, Mai Son, Ngo Thi Kim Cuc, Nguyen Minh Chau, Nguyen Phan Hach, Nguyen Thi Thu Hue city, Nguyen Tham Thien Ke, Nguyen Khai, Nguyen Kien, Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, Nguyen Thi Anh Thu, Nguyen Ngoc Tu, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tu, Nguyen Manh Tuan and Pham Thi Hoai.

Less than 20 years later, the amount of Vietnamese literature translated into English is far higher compared to other languages.

By 2009, the Curbstone Press has printed 13 titles of Vietnamese literature, including: Ho Anh Thai’s “Behind the Red Mist”, Le Minh Khue’s “The Stars, The Earth, the River”, collection “The Other Side of Heaven”, Nguyen Duy’s “Distant Road” (poem), Nguyen Khai’s “Past Continuous”, Six Vietnamese Poets (Y Nhi, Nguyen Khoa Diem, Lam Thi My Da, Nguyen Duc Mau, Xuan Quynh, Pham Tien Duat, Ma Van Khang “Against the Flood”, Doan Le’s “The Cemetery of Chua Village”, Nguyen Huy Thiep’s “Crossing the River”, Lam Thi My Da’s “Green Rice”, “Love after War” (several writers), Huu Thinh’s “The Time Tree” and most recently Da Ngan’s “An Insignificant Family”.

“Dang Thuy Tram’s Diary” is a phenomenon. After it was published the first time in 2005 by Nha Nam and the Vietnamese Writer Association Publishing House, the book was published in the US in September 2007 with the title “Last Night I Dreamed of Peace”.

After that 14 publishers in Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Greek, Germany, Italy, China, the UK, etc. have bought the copyright of the book. It has been published in the US, Japan, South Korea, Romania, Thailand and Laos.

VietNamNet/Tuoi Tre