Writers from Nghe An - a perspective

I was delighted and fortunate to recently receive a thick copy of "Modern Vietnamese Writers," published by the Vietnam Writers Association Publishing House during the Association's 8th Congress (August 2010), from a friend in Hanoi who knows I have a knack for writing poetry and prose. Holding the book in my hands, I eagerly searched for pages featuring members from Nghe An province, people I often met at the Nghe An Literature and Arts Association's meetings, and especially famous writers whose poetry and prose I had never met.

And I meticulously compiled each page, reading and counting to inform all literature lovers in my hometown that, as of 2011, the number of people from Nghe An admitted to the Vietnam Writers Association, both within and outside the province, is 97, of which 12 are currently active in the Nghe An branch of the Vietnam Writers Association. The founding generation of writers from Nghe An include: Dang Thai Mai, Hoang Trung Thong, Hoang Trung Nho, Ho Khai Dai, Bui Hien, Tran Huu Thung, Minh Hue, Phan Khac Khoan, and Hoai Thanh.

The oldest members of the Association are: Pham Thieu (1904-1986) from Dien Chau; Lan Son (1912-1974) from Anh Son; Nguyen Tat Thu (1912-2007) from Nam Dan; Thanh Chau (1912-2007) from Dien Chau; and Phan Khac Khoan (1916-1998) from Yen Thanh. The youngest member is writer Bui Sim Sim, born in 1969 in Quynh Luu, who joined the Association in 2005 and currently lives and works in Hanoi. The youngest member in the Nghe An branch is writer Dam Quynh Ngoc, born in 1967 also in Quynh Luu, who joined the Association in 2000; the newest member is writer Nguyen Ngoc Loi, who joined in early 2011 (his name is not yet listed in the book above).

Three writers were honored with the Ho Chi Minh Prize: Dang Thai Mai (first round, 1996), Nguyen Minh Chau and Hoai Thanh (second round, 2000). Nine writers were honored with the State Prize: Bui Hien, Nguyen Trong Oanh, Hoang Trung Thong, Tran Huu Thung (first round, 2001), Phan Cu De, Nam Ha, Minh Hue, Vuong Trong, and Dang Thanh Huong (second round, 2007).

Nghe An, the homeland of a unique cultural region, is the birthplace and nurturer of tangible and intangible cultural works of enduring value. The land of Nghe An is poor, but the poorer it is, the more its people strive to overcome poverty, enriching their lives not only with material values ​​but also with spiritual ones. The saying "The people of Nghe An are both literate and virtuous" (Huy Can) perfectly illustrates this. The people of Nghe An have every right to be proud of having produced outstanding cultural figures of the nation, such as Ho Chi Minh. It's common for illiterate people from Nghe An to know the Tale of Kieu, the Lament of the Warrior's Wife, and the Lament of the Concubine. The people of Nghe An live by traditional cultural practices such as folk singing and chanting, so it's easy to understand why the best poems of Tran Huu Thung (Visiting the Rice Fields, I'm Still Marching...), Minh Hue (Tonight Uncle Ho Doesn't Sleep...), and Thach Quy (Grass...) are all written in the five-word verse form with exquisite skill and sophistication.

Writers from Nghe An, both those living and working within and outside the province, have demonstrated their creative prowess and made multifaceted contributions to national literature. In poetry, readers remember many names such as Tran Huu Thung, Minh Hue, Thach Quy, Hoang Tran Cuong, Nguyen Trong Tao, and Vuong Trong.... In prose, one cannot fail to mention Bui Hien, Nguyen Minh Chau, Dang Van Ky, Vo Thi Hao, and Nguyen Thi Phuoc.... In literary criticism and theory, Hoai Thanh, Dang Thai Mai, Phan Cu De, and Nguyen Dang Diep must be mentioned...

It can be said that Nghe An is a place that has very well preserved the literary traditions of families and clans, exemplified by the Nguyen Duc family in Nghi Trung-Nghi Loc with famous writers such as Nguyen Duc Nguyen-Hoai Thanh, Nguyen Duc Nam-Vu Duc Nam, Nguyen Duc Dung-Tu Son, Nguyen Duc Ngoc-Anh Ngoc, Nguyen Duc Dan-Viet Trung Nguyen-Hoang Nguyen, Nguyen Duc Han-Phan Hong Giang and Thuy Bac. Many people also know the Vuong family in Do Luong with Vuong Dinh Huan-Thach Quy, Vuong Trong, and the Hoang family in Quynh Luu with Hoang Trung Nho, Hoang Trung Thong... A noteworthy characteristic is that many writers in Nghe An are skilled in mathematics, such as Vuong Trong, Thach Quy, Nguyen Thi Phuoc, and, of course, the case of Dr. Le Quoc Han, a mathematician and poet from Ha Tinh, who is active in the Nghe An branch of the association. Nghe An writers also boast many multi-talented individuals, such as Nguyen Trong Tao (poetry, music, and painting), Nguyen Thi Phuoc (literature and poetry), Thai Ba Tan (poetry, literature, and translation), Pham Quoc Ca (poetry, theory, and translation), not to mention many writers and journalists like Hoang Tran Cuong, Bui Sy Hoa, Duong Huy, etc. Nghe An has also nurtured many writers from all over the country, such as Quang Huy, Le Quy Ky, Hong Nhu...

It's worth noting that the membership list of the Vietnam Writers Association doesn't fully reflect all the creative figures who have made significant contributions to national literature. One could mention individuals who are qualified writers and poets such as Huy Huyền, Phan Văn Từ, Nguyễn Xuân Phầu, Ngô Đức Tiến, Tú Tâm, Trần Ngưỡng, Cao Bá Trang, Cao Xuân Thưởng, Nguyễn Văn Hùng, Vân Anh... These individuals have contributed to shaping the face of local literature and laying the foundation for the solid development of national literature, but for various reasons, their names are either not yet included or will be included in the future...

For many years, the Vietnam Writers Association branch in Nghe An has been a gathering place for the local literary community, contributing many valuable works to national literature. The branch also serves as a platform for collecting works by non-members, introducing and encouraging creative activities from various local branches. The branch focuses on organizing field trips for its members, evaluating and selecting works through the Nghe An Writers Magazine, and actively participating in activities of the Association of Literature and Arts and assignments from the Vietnam Writers Association, such as Vietnam Poetry Day and specialized seminars on exemplary authors and works.

However, there are still many tasks that require the Branch Association to take real action in order to achieve good results, such as compiling a collection of modern Nghe An writers, stabilizing and eventually increasing the frequency of the Nghe An Writers Magazine, and organizing effective field trips...

In reality, recruiting members into the Vietnam Writers Association is becoming increasingly difficult for many reasons, the most important of which is that the works of applicants have not yet made a strong impression on the public, while reading, researching, introducing, and promoting literature in our province as well as many other places has not received adequate attention.

Promising young writers like Ho Huy Son, Le Thu Thuy, Duong Nu Khanh Thuong, Bui Phu Chau... have not received specific guidance and support, leading to stagnation or detours. This is something the local branch must address; they must find ways to gather, encourage, and nurture these literary talents, creating a pool of potential members and establishing a long-term direction for local literature!

PTV