Two female writers born in the year of the Rooster and their fate with literature

(Baonghean) - Pham Mai Chien (Head of Science and Foreign Affairs Department of Nghe An College of Literature and Arts, also Head of Poetry Department, Nghe An Literature and Arts Association, member of Vietnam Ethnic Minority Literature and Arts Association) and Nguyen Hong (Inspector of Nghe An Department of Science and Technology, member of Literature Department of Nghe An Literature and Arts Association) are two young writers, both born in 1981 (year of the Rooster). On the occasion of the Year of the Rooster, Nghe An Newspaper had an interesting conversation with two girls with personality both in life and in literature about their thoughts and memories of their writing career (a side job).

Mai Chien and Nguyen Hong.

- Hello Nguyen Hong and Mai Chien. In the year of the Rooster, I would like to chat with two female authors born in the year of the Rooster with the hope that the year will be filled with joy and success for the two writers! How did you come to literature?

Nguyen Hong (NH):First of all, NH would like to affirm that he is an amateur in literature. NH remembers, in his childhood days, he often listened to his father read poetry to him, tell stories before going to bed. His father read many poems by Nguyen Binh, Xuan Dieu, Xuan Quynh... sometimes his father read Truyen Kieu, read poems by Nguyen Cong Tru... As he read, his father explained and especially, his father always asked NH if he liked it?

When NH was young, he knew nothing about literature but loved listening to his father read poems and tell stories. He still remembers the stories his father told him in the past. The stories his father told were never the same. They were existing stories, but his father added details and characters to make them easier to understand, to make them similar to what was happening around him. With a childlike soul, NH believed that it was a real world. Until now, the stories his father told and the poems his father read still resonate in his subconscious.

NH started writing poetry in 6th grade, after writing an essay describing a rooster. The first poem was a 4-word poem, which his father read and praised. But in fact, it was nothing like a poem at all. Only later did NH understand that his father's praise was to encourage him. From his father's encouragement, NH devoted himself to writing what he thought were poems. If he had a literary talent, it probably started from those naive things.

Mai Chien:I started writing and publishing my first collection of poems, "Singing with the Sky," in 2006, at the age of 26, when I had just graduated with a master's degree in literature and was a literature teacher. This was the time when the basic conditions for writing converged: mature emotions, growing up in thoughts and ways of generalizing reality, especially choosing formal elements with unique, novel, and distinct content to aim towards poetic innovation. For me, coming to literature is a systematic preparation process to sublimate in creativity.

- Some memorable memories with literature?

Nguyen Hong:There are many memories with literature. There are both happy and sad stories. But at the beginning of the New Year, NH only tells happy stories and talks about happy things.

NH's real name is Nguyen Thi Hong. When I was in school, I was often embarrassed in front of my friends because when the teachers called me Thi Hong, they called me Thi Hong. When my friends made fun of me, they called me Thi No. I was angry with my parents many times because my friends had middle names but I didn't.

When he first started writing essays for newspapers, NH still used his real name. Later, some stories were published in Song Lam Magazine, VNQD Magazine, Van Nghe Newspaper... NH used his pen name as he does now. The funny thing is that when newspaper editors sent newspapers as gifts, they all addressed them to Mr. Nguyen Hong. This mistake still spreads to this day when some newspapers only send NH's works without a brief biography.

Mai Chien:Actually, I have many memorable memories with literature, but the most memorable is the event when my first poetry collection was published and I immediately received the Young Author Award from the National Committee of the Vietnam Literature and Arts Association. This was truly a great joy for a "brand new" young author who had just appeared in the literary world.

Poetry collection Singing with the sky by author Pham Mai Chien.

- As two young writers from Nghe An, how do you see the creative environment in your home province? What do you expect from writers, especially young writers?

Nguyen Hong:Literature is an individual phenomenon, constantly moving, constantly renewing. If forced to answer about the literary environment of Nghe An, NH would temporarily concretize it in a circle that is concentric with the large circle of literature of the whole country, and also connects with other small circles of literature of neighboring provinces. The individuality makes the author, but the common and universal make the work. It is not necessary that people from Nghe An must write around Nghe An with Nghe language and Nghe character.

NH is a slow person, sometimes lazy. I don't put much importance on becoming a famous name in literature. Writing comes easily as a release of emotions. I write because I can't help but write. When I'm sad, I write to feel less sad. When I'm happy, I write to share the joy. It's that simple.

Writing for NH is a very serious game. NH said it was a game because, as NH discussed, NH had no pressure to write to become something, to get something, no one forced NH to write, no one urged NH to write, no boss gave him any quota or order. NH wrote because he wanted to write. But once he started writing, NH had extremely high demands on seriousness. When the product was born, even though it was initially just written to post on Facebook to serve a few readers who were his friends, NH was very strict. Whether the product was creative or not depends on many factors, in which talent is the decisive factor, but once it was born, it had to be a complete work.

As a young writer, NH feels lucky because he often gets to interact and learn from his seniors in the Nghe An literary community such as poet Thach Quy, poet Van Anh, writer Dam Quynh Ngoc... Especially, the interaction sometimes seems to be dominated by youthful emotions, the unconventional and daring thinking of writers of the same age as Mai Chien, Bui Ngoc...

Mai Chien:Perhaps Nguyen Hong has already answered part of my thoughts.

- So you two have a lot in common? So let me ask, in life and literature (writing), what else do you see in common between you two - two girls born in the year of the Rooster?

Nguyen Hong:NH is deeply indebted and deeply concerned with the Buddhist word "Fate". People come together by chance, but staying together is probably due to fate. I have many friends, but very few understand and share with each other. It's like the relationship between NH and Mai Chien. NH has known Mai Chien since the first days from Hanoi to Nghe An, having a relationship with the Nghe An Literature and Arts Association, and has many friends, aunts, uncles, and cousins, but the two of us rarely have the opportunity to be close and share with each other. Much later, perhaps because of our fate as chickens, we found an excuse to talk. After talking, it's easier to understand each other. Once we understand, we will choose to stay or go.

Poetry collection For example by author Nguyen Hong

It's hard to find common points in writing between NH and Mai Chien, Mai Chien try to find them. As for NH, I see that they both share a love for literature. Love and are indebted to it. At 1 or 2 in the morning, they still call each other to correct a word, share a thought or just to show off a new work of theirs. Secondly, both NH and Mai Chien are young, so the common point is youth and the desire for new things.

There are many things in common besides literature, like the same habit of hanging out at tea shops and coffee shops, the same shopping for clothes, and even a few stories that are both funny and sad.

Mai Chien:It feels like these two chickens are quite similar in terms of life progression and personality. In life, the biggest thing they have in common is wanting to sit next to each other, sometimes just to... cry! They both love small flower forests, believe that love is ageless; love dresses; like sharing gifts with friends and writing to each other; both have a "little kid" hidden inside them that is both silly and stubborn. In literature as well, they both write in many genres at the same time; get readers' attention early and have achievements, especially both aim to innovate and renew literature.

- One last question, in the coming year of the rooster, what plans do you have for your compositions?

Nguyen Hong: NH's plan for next year is to print a collection. We don't know yet whether it will be a collection of prose or poetry, but we will aim to print a collection to mark the year of the rooster. In particular, we also intend to print a collection together to commemorate. Like the roosters talking to each other and about each other.

Mai Chien:I plan to complete the manuscript of two epic poems and a play, and one book of poetry: Towards the blooming seasons.

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