Writers from Vietnam

Vietnam
1970
Nguyen LAN THI NHAN
Vietnam
1996

Phan Thi VANG ANH is one of the most respected young authors of Vietnam and embodies the literary spirit of her native Hanoi and the contemporary vigor of Saigon, where she was raised. She is a medical doctor, specializing in neurology, at the Nguyen Trai Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. In 1994 the Youth Publishing House in Hanoi published two of her books for young people, O Nha and Hoi Cho; one of her short stories appeared in English translation in a recent issue of the University of Hawaii journal, Manoa. Described as "sharp, funny, humane," she is an artist who has won national respect in an arena where young writers are subjected to highly competitive scrutiny. Dr. Vang Anh is the IWP's first representative from Vietnam, and is sponsored by the US Information Agency.

Vietnam
1997

Ly Thi LAN (born in Binh Duong Province, 1957) is an English teacher, television editor, and researcher, and was previously an executive member of the Ho Chi Minh City Writers' Association. Among the publications in a prolific career are several collections of short stories: Singing Grass (1983); A Bit of Romance in the Rain (1987); Seeing Mountains in a Dream (19 ã91); Immigrants (1995). She has also written a novel, A Peaceful Place for Birds to Sing (1987); a non-fiction account of the Chinese living in South Vietnam (1994); and several books for children: Lantern Festival (1991); The Grown-Ups (1992); Whirled in the Rain (1993), and The Secret of the Black Lizard and Me (1996); Home in the Grass (1984) was the recipient of the first prize from the Vietnam Writers' Association. Ly Lan's participation in the IWP continues a connection begun in 1996 with fiction writer Phan Thi Vang Ahn. Her participation is supported by the US Information Agency.

Vietnam
1998

Phan Trieu HAI (born 1969, Binh Dinh Province) won the award for story of the year from Youth Magazine for his most recent collection of short stories, Aco Mot Nguoi Nam Tren Mai Nha (A Man Lying on the Roof, Writers' Publishing House, 1997). He is the author of three other collections of short fiction, including the prize-winning Nhung Linh Hon Lac (The Lost Souls, Youth Publishing House, 1995) and Quan 'O Rung (The Wild-Beef Restaurant, Youth Publishing House, 1995). Many of Mr. Hai's short stories have been translated into English for Vietnam News, the Vietnamese English-language newspaper. He currently works as Assistant to the General Manager of Nissho Iwai Corporation in Ho Chi Minh City. His participation in the IWP is supported by the United States Information Agency.

Vietnam
1999

NGUYEN Thi Chau Giang (born 1975, Hanoi) is a writer and editor at Kim Dong Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. At 24 years of age, Ms. Nguyen is already recognized nationally as one of the most prominent young authors in Vietnam. She started writing when she was four years old and has published nine volumes of short stories (three have won national awards) and many short stories and poems in literary journals and magazines. In her works, she tends to focus on the complexities of modern life typical of a developing society, such as family breakdown and generational conflicts, social disorders, and the feelings of human solitude now plaguing many Vietnamese youth. Her writing tries not only to raise the reader's awareness of these problems, but also seeks ways to cope with them. In addition, Giang is a well-known painter whose works have been included in national as well as international exhibitions. Recent publications of short stories include The Game, 1999; Childhood Summer, 1997 (National Award); Short Hair, 1997 (National Award); Sleepless, 1997; The Beautiful Blue Bird, 1996; and Love Market, 1996. The US Information Agency supports her participation in the IWP.

Vietnam
2000

Vo Thi HAO (born 1956, Nghe An Province) is the Hanoi bureau chief of the HCMC Women's Newspaper. When her stories began appearing in magazines in the early 1990's, the public rushed to read them, drawn by her original style, which is described as "a combination of observation, sympathy, strong feminism, and frankness and great courage in pinpointing social problems." She has written a large body of stories, many of which have been made into films and plays. Her work, which has been translated into English, French, and Japanese, has received major national recognition. Her work as a journalist is also notable for its strength and candor. Ms. Hao's publications include the short story collectionsThe Sea-Savior from Idleness (1991), Selected Collection of Short Stories (1996; recipient of the Vietnam Writers' Union's Five-Year Hanoi Literary Award); Held-Back Laughter (1998); The Owl's Sleep (1999; for young adults); The Green Goddess (2000; for children) and Horror Stories and The Devil's Night Party (forthcoming this year). Her participation is supported by the U.S. Department of State.

Vietnam
2001

Viet Huu TRAN (poet, Vietnam; born 1963, Hanoi) writes poetry exploring the sensibility of post-1975 Vietnamese youth, and their complex attitudes toward contemporary Vietnam in transition. He has received a number of awards for his careers in poetry and in journalism. He is Editor of the Sunday literary and arts supplement of the Tien Phong newspaper, and also writes for other leading journals directed toward youth. He also works as a literary translator. A miscellany including critical work is being published early next year. He is at the IWP through support from the US Department of State.

HOANG Ly
Vietnam
2003 Resident

HOANG Ly (b. 1975, Hanoi) won the First Prize at the New Pens Poetry contest in 1996 and was elected Poet of the Year by the readers of Nguoi Lao Dong (Worker) Newspaper in 1999. Her poems have been widely anthologized, translated into French and English, and published in various magazines and newspapers in Vietnam. Her first book of poetry, White Grass, came out in 1999; her second and most recent book, The Night Is Flowing towards the Sky, will appear soon this year. Besides writing poetry, she has also done a translation of Jack London's The Call of the Wild (1995). Ms. Hoang Ly paints and works in installation & performance art as well. She has been teaching young children how to paint since 1997 and has held exhibits of her work and participated in a number of art festivals in Asia as well as the U.S. She will be participating courtesy of the U.S. Department of State.

Van Cam HAI
Vietnam
2005 Resident

Van Cam HAI made his Vietnamese publishing debut in 1995 with a collection of poems titled (in English) Man Who Tends the Waves. His work has appeared in several American publications, including Tinfish and The Literary Review, Vietnam Inside-Out: Dialogues (2001), and the anthology Three Vietnamese Poets (2001). He has also written several works of prose, such as Following on the Trail of Pinion to the Mild-Zone ( 2003) and Tibet-Bloom Drop in the Sunshine ( 2004). A member of the Vietnamese Association of Writers and of the Vietnamese Association of Journalists, Mr. Hai works for Viet Nam Television and has thrice received the Gold Prize for his work on documentary films. He is participating courtesy of the US Department of State.

PHAN Hon Nhien
Vietnam
2011 Resident

PHAN Hon Nhien (novelist, fiction writer; Vietnam) is the managing editor at SinhVien Vietnam magazine. The author of ten collections of short stories and seven novels, Phuong has published six books since 2009: the novels [Cold Eyes], [The Joker], [Azoth Necklace], and the short story collections [The Rain Gal], [A Dangerous Emotion], and [Left Wing], which won the 2010 Ho Chi Minh Writers Association Award. She participates courtesy of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

Trang_headshot_cropped
Vietnam
2022 Fall Resident

Hiền TRANG (fiction writer; critic; translator; Vietnam) is an author of two novels, two collections of stories and one of literary essays. Her most recent titles, both award-winning, are Chopin biến mất [Chopin vanishes] (2022] and Giấc mộng lang thang trên đồng cỏ úa  [Dreams of wandering in withered fields] (2018). She works as a book, music, film, and pop culture critic, with columns in major newspapers and magazines, and regularly translates from English. Her participation was made possible by a grant from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

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