Bilingual Vietnamese-Korean poetry collection published
A poetry collection written in both Vietnamese and Korean has been published.
The Vietnam Writers Association working in conjunction with writers of the Republic of Korea have published Chung ta co the suot doi cho nhau (We can Wait for Each Other Forever), which features 42 poems, half written by Vietnamese poets and half Korean.
The selected poems were translated and presented by Korean poets, with the introduction written by Vu Quan Phuong.
"The general impression of the poetry collection is a sense of novelty and freshness," Phuong said.
"The Korean poets do not use the traditional references that have become formulaic; instead, they write in a conversational style, spontaneously creating poetry. The ideas in their poems are dense and rich."
The Vietnamese authors participating include well-known names such as Huu Thinh, Tran Dang Khoa, Huu Viet, TranHung, Luong Ngoc An, Phan Thi Thanh Nhan, and Nguyen Bao Chan.
Meanwhile, the RoK’s authors featured are prominent figures such as Kim Tae-soo, Jang Seok-nam, An Hoen-mi, Lee Sulya, Son Cecilia, and Yi Wi-bai.
Fifteen Korean writers and poets visited and worked with the Vietnam Writers Association for the collaboration.
"The remarkable development of Vietnam in various fields, including literature, has always attracted attention and left valuable lessons for other countries," said writer Bang Hyun-suk.
Nguyen Quang Thieu, chairman of the Vietnam Writers' Association said: "We continue to promote the literary exchange between Vietnam and the RoK in the coming time.
"Every year, authors from both sides will visit each other to exchange views on the development of literature in each country. In particular, we are focusing on enhancing the publishing cooperation between Vietnamese and Korean literature."
Vietnamese and Korean writers have strengthened their literary ties, with 16 Korean poets attending the 22nd Vietnam Poetry Day in early 2024 at the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, Hanoi.
Works by contemporary Vietnamese writers and poets such as Huu Thinh, Nguyen Quang Thieu, Thanh Thao and Nguyen Binh Phuong have appeared in literary anthologies published in the RoK.
Nguyen Binh Phuong’s novel Minh va ho (Us and Them) has been particularly well-received in the RoK.
The works of Han Kang, the Korean writer who received the Nobel Prize in Literature this year, were also translated and introduced in Vietnam in 2011.
TB (according to VNA)