What is the highlight?

(Baonghean) - Compared to previous years, Vietnamese literature in 2012 seems to have yet to see any truly valuable works or authors that would attract public attention or spark even a little controversy to liven up the overall atmosphere; and therefore, generally speaking, creative output remains at a "mediocre" level. It's noteworthy that the literary scene seems to lack the (loud) voices of established writers, or those already somewhat recognized, and no promising new faces have emerged. While the quality of works, authors, and creative teams requires a quiet preparation process, should we simply remain powerless in the face of readers' weariness with this flat, monotonous backdrop?

Thus, the only way to assess literary life is to look at events. Perhaps the earliest and most celebrated was the first Asia-Pacific Poetry Festival, held from February 2-6, 2012, with the participation of 80 poets from 27 countries, plus 50 poets from the host country, on a theme with a very clear political and somewhat sensitive topical tone: for peace, prosperity, cooperation, and friendship in the Asia-Pacific region…

The second notable event in Vietnamese literature in 2012 was the awards and the controversies surrounding the Vietnam Writers Association Awards for 2010 and 2011 (awarded in early 2012). Nine awards were given to nine works: "The Game of Emotional Destruction" - novel (Y Ban); "The Absent City" - collection of short stories (Nguyen Thi Thu Hue); "Barefoot Epic" - epic poem (Thanh Thao); and "A Lost Century" - a historical novel, a long-standing and important trend in Vietnamese literature that has maintained its appeal. Four poetry awards were given: "The Sky Without a Roof" (Mai Van Phan); "Waves and Silence" (Tu Quoc Hoai); "The Day the Fragrant Flowers Bloom" (Dinh Thi Nhu Thuy); and "Hymn of Joy" (Do Doan Phuong). This was a small but positive sign for Vietnamese poetry, as this genre had been absent from the annual awards list of the Vietnam Writers Association for quite some time. Another point worth noting is that the literary criticism award was given to the "amateur" critic Van Chinh for his work "Multipolarity and Destination." This is an unusual sign for a literary landscape, but it may be normal for Vietnamese literature, because professional critics (who should have been) have long since disappeared amidst the decline of reading culture, the dominance of opportunistic criticism, and the phenomenon of fake criticism overshadowing genuine criticism. There have also been some controversies and exchanges between some of the award-winning writers and spokespersons representing the Writers' Association. These concerns may seem minor, but ultimately they reflect a certain truth about the literary landscape, the Writers' Association, and the award mechanism.

One of the important activities contributing to the recognition of literary values ​​is the organization of seminars. This year, several seminars and discussions were held about the deceased and the living: Nguyen Huy Tuong, Han Mac Tu, Thanh Chau, Nguyen Xuan Khanh, Nguyen Quang Thieu, Hoang Quang… Some were simply concluded, while others continued to be discussed after the seminar, such as the case of Nguyen Quang Thieu and especially Hoang Quang Thuan, a new prominent figure in the poetry world who quickly gained membership in the Vietnam Writers Association – considered to have committed a rare case of "plagiarism" in history with the uproar surrounding the collection Thi Van Yen Tu, a collection of poems that many consider "meeting the standards of Zen poetry," yet written as if someone had possessed his soul, mind, and even his pen. However, many discerning people have recognized this as a plagiarized collection of poems. And among the victims of this plagiarism is Tran Nhan Tong, a king, a "Buddhist emperor" who lived in the 13th century. Let me add in parentheses that this type of seminar will inadvertently contribute to the plagiarism that has long been a widespread phenomenon in literary life. Some plagiarize a few sentences, others plagiarize many sentences, many works, or even entire lengths of text. It's noteworthy that some of the participants in the seminar on Hoang Quang Thuan are experts or well-known figures in the literary world.

Also in 2012, there was an award that received much support and sharing: the Hanoi Writers Association Award. The award was given to SBC for his works "Hunting Rats" by Ho Anh Thai (prose), "The Indifferent Fishing Trip" by Nguyen Binh Phuong (poetry); "The Past Ahead" by Ngo Thao (criticism); "Lolita" by Duong Tuong (translation); and the achievement award was given to the late writer Phung Quan - an author belonging to the former Humanist Literature movement.

In Nghe An province, literature remains sluggish, as it has been for several years. This accurately reflects the general atmosphere of arts and literature – a gloomy mood in many respects. There are hardly any outstanding works, nor any noteworthy literary activities, apart from the Vietnamese Poetry Day held at the Nghe An Television studio, which received enthusiastic applause from students at the beginning of the year. Besides Nguyen The Quang, after his initial success with the novel about the famous figure Nguyen Du (awarded the A prize at the Ho Xuan Huong Awards at the end of last year – which should have been awarded in 2010), publishing his next novel about Hoang Thi Loan, "The Song of the Rivers," with much dedication, perhaps the only noteworthy thing is the story of author Nguyen Duy Nang, long known as a poet, who has just published a collection of prose, and author Tran Nguong releasing a collection of lục bát (six-eight syllable) poems. Regarding accolades, two notable events are Dang Hong Thiep receiving the best poetry award from the Writers' Magazine (Vietnam Writers Association) and Van Anh being admitted to the Vietnam Writers Association. It should also be mentioned that the elderly writer Le Quy Ky, former head of the theory and criticism committee of the Nghe An Association of Literature and Arts, passed away at his home in Vinh City.

One year. A picture that is less joyful and more sad, revealing many problems in literary life. We can only wait and hope for 2013, then?!

Le Thanh Nga (Lecturer, Faculty of Literature - Vinh University)