THE MODERN LITTERATURE FROM 1975
With national integrity finally secured in 1975, it was not long before the literary community began to explore in their work themes which had largely been set aside during the long struggle for self determination. This trend received a boost with the implementation of "Renovation" in 1986, which afforded Vietnamese writers a measure of creative freedom, allowing them to look at life from an individual point of view rather than focusing on the role of society as a whole. Since that time Vietnamese writers have begun to question established views and to tackle such sensitive issues as the enormous cost of victory in terms of human suffering, the problem of official corruption, the disappointments of the post-war era and the social effects of the change from a subsidised to a market economy, including 'social evils' such as prostitution and drug addiction. Such themes have provided the raw material for some of the most exciting contemporary literature emanating from modern Viet Nam, though to date only a handful of the works which tackle them have been translated into other languages.
A small group of contemporary Vietnamese prose writers has already achieved considerable success internationally. This group includes Nguyen Huy Thiep (b 1950), author of several important short stories including "The Retired General", "The Winds of Hua Tat" and "Daughter of the Sea Gods" novelist and short story writer Ph?m Thi Hoai (b 1960), now resident in Germany, whose best-known works include the novels "The Crystal Messenger" and Marie Sen; Duong Thu Huong (b 1947), who attracted wide international attention for her novels "Beyond Illusions", "Paradise of the Blind", "Novel Without a Name" and "Memories of a Pure Spring"; Ho Anh Thai (b 1960), author of the acclaimed novels "Beyond the Red Mist" and "The Women on the Island"; and Bao Ninh (b 1952), whose complex, dream-like work "Destiny of Love, 1987", republished in 1991 as "The Sorrow of War" transformed writing about human conflict.
However, a much larger body of work by talented contemporary Vietnamese writers has yet to be made available to a wider international audience. Foremost amongst the older generation of prose writers referred to earlier whose work still attracts a large readership are Ngo Ngoc Boi, writer of short stories and author of the novels "Village Pond", "Nightmare", "The Wind Carries the Bamboo Branch" and "Infinite Gate of Heaven"; the late Nguyen Minh Chau, whose works include the novels "Coming Out of the Forest", "Land of Love" and "Reeds" plus numerous short stories; and short story writer Nguyen Khai, whose best works were published in a collection entitled Truyen ngan Nguyen Khai.
Other important contemporary Vietnamese prose writers include the afore-mentioned Ma Van Khang (b 1936), whose works include the short story collection Truyen ngan Ma Van Khang and the award-winning novel "Season of Falling Leaves"; short story writer and novelist Nguyen Manh Tuan (b 1947), whose best-known works include "Melaleuca Tree Island" and "Standing Before the Sea"; Le Luu (b 1942), short story writer and author of the novels "Time Far Past" and "Waves on the River Bed"; short story writer and novelist Duong Huong (b 1949), whose works include "Haven for Single Women" and "This World of People"; and Ta Duy Anh (b 1959), author of numerous short stories and novels including "The Miserable Old Man" and "Karma".
The contribution of women writers to the development of the short story as a distinctive Vietnamese literary medium has been especially noteworthy; in addition to the afore-mentioned Pham Thi Hoai, leading contemporary female short story writers include Da Ngan (Le Hong Nga, b 1952), playwright and theatre director Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc (b 1953), Ly Lan (b 1957), Vo Thi Xuan Ha (b 1959), Pham Thi Minh Thu (b 1956), Y Ban (Pham Thi Xuan Ban, b 1961), Nguyen Thi Thu Hue (b 1966), Phan Thi Vang Anh (b 1968) and Tran Thanh Ha (b 1971). However, perhaps the best known female short story writers currently working in Viet Nam are Le Minh Khue (b 1949), whose works have been published in the award-winning anthology Truyen ngan Le Minh Khue, and Vo Thi Hao (b 1956), author of the highly popular short stories "Sea of Saving" and "Survivor of the Laughing Forest" and the collected works short story Vo Thi Hao: "Selected Short Stories of Vo Thi Hao: One Hundred Stupidities of Men".
Leading Vietnamese poets of the past 25 years such as Pham Tien Duat, Nguyen Duy, Hoang Nhuan Cam, Bang Viet, Huu Thinh, Pham Ngoc Canh, Anh Ngoc and Nguyen Duc Mau continue to play an important role in today's literary scene. Other important contemporary poets include Viet Nam Writers’ Association Awards winners Quan Phuong (Ngoc Vu, b 1940), Thanh Thao (Ho Thanh Cong, b 1946) and Nguyen Quang Thieu (b 1957); and Literary Arts Newspaper Awards winners Hoang Tran Cuong (b 1948), Van Le (Le Chi Thuy, b 1949), Tran Manh Hao (b 1949) and Tran Dang Khoa (b 1958).
During the past 25 years women poets have also truly come into their own. One of Viet Nam's best-known modern female poets, Xuan Quynh (Nguyen Thi Xuan Quynh, 1942-1988), was tragically killed in 1988 in a car accident along with her playwright husband Luu Quang Vu. Amongst the most exciting contemporary women poets are Phan Thi Thanh Nhan (b 1943), Thao Phuong Nguyen Mai Huong, b 1949), Pha Thi Ngoc Lien (b 1952), Giang Van (b 1958), Thanh Nguyen (b 1962), Phan Huyen Thu (b 1972), Ngan Hoa (b 1973) and Ly Hoàng Ly (b 1975), Literary Arts Newspaper Awards winners Nguyen Thi Hong Ngat (b 1950) and Nguyen Khanh Chi (b 1965) and Viet Nam Writers Association Awards winners Y Nhi (Hoang Thi Y Nhi, b 1944), Lam Thi My Da (b 1949), Le Thi May (Pham Tuyet Hoa, b 1949) and Le Thi Kim (b 1950). The Women's Publishing House recently published an excellent collection of poems by 150 women poets, around half of whom were born since the end of the American War.
At the turn of the new millennium a literary group known as "Six Faced Circle" emerged in the southern capital of Ho Chi Minh City, attracting recognition from leading Vietnamese intellectuals. In 2001 four young writers from this group - Ly Doi (1978), Bui Chat (1979), Khuc Duy (1976) and Nguyen Quan(1977) - formed the "Open Mouth" underground poetry movement. In recent years this group has held regular poetry readings and its work has become increasingly linked with contemporary developments in performance art.
Over the past quarter century the Viet Nam Writers’ Association, the Ha Noi Writers’ Association, the Ho Chi Minh City Writers’ Association and several other literary organisations have continued to promote the development of creative writing through their annual awards for the best prose, poetry, theory and criticism and translated works. There has also been corresponding development in the field of literary criticism and literary research. Mention should also be made of the Nguyen Du School of Writing, Ha Noi, modelled on the Pushkin Institute in Moscow, which was established in 1981 by the Ha Noi University of Culture with the aim of training writers in the two key areas of prose and poetry.
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