The Ho Chi Minh City Writers' Association announced the award results on 16/12, with the awards ceremony scheduled for 30/1/2026. Cao Viet Quynh expressed great honor in receiving the award at such a young age, attributing the achievement not solely to himself but to the support and encouragement of many. The author noted that this recognition is not his ultimate goal, as he believes his creative works require further improvement in the future.
'Luc dia rong', released mid-2024, is considered a continuation of his previous series, 'Nguoi sao choi'. It features returning characters in new, more mature roles, as parents or having aged. The main character is Jim, son of Thanh, the protagonist from 'Nguoi sao choi'. Like his father, Jim embarks on adventures, joined by "children of the dragon": John, Luke, George, Sarah, and Kim, all possessing supernatural abilities. Their courage, intelligence, and strong bond help Jim and his friends overcome evil forces.
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The complete five-book novel series 'Luc dia rong'. Photo: Kim Dong Publishing House |
The novel series follows a familiar motif of good versus evil, conveying an educational message. Beyond the science fiction elements, Cao Viet Quynh weaves in reflections on human sacrifice. In the book, the character John states, "I live to protect others, to save those I can save, to help those I can help. My life is short, but it has meaning. Not everyone gets to have that".
The young writer completed the work in early 2023, drawing inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings'. He finds the extensive fantasy world and setting to be the most fulfilling aspect of his creation. Within this world, he meticulously drew maps and created kingdoms with distinct cultures, histories, architectures, and costumes. However, this focus on world-building sometimes led the author to not delve deeply enough into the inner lives and psychological development of individual characters.
Cao Viet Quynh was born in Hanoi and currently resides in TP HCM. His mother is the writer Nguyen Quynh Trang. In 2022, his ba-volume novel series 'Nguoi sao choi' received the National Book Award and was showcased at the 20th Bangkok International Copyright Book Fair and the 30th Beijing International Book Fair.
Following 'Luc dia rong', the author is now finalizing the novel series 'Nguoi lai xe cua Merlin'. In his outlines and plans for future works, he intends to continue writing in the fantasy or science fiction (sci-fi) genres. Cao Viet Quynh shared that fictional elements provide him with freedom and boundless creativity. During an exchange in 2022, the author once said, "When I write, I can create my own world. I can imagine and guide characters, thereby controlling everything in that story".
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Young writer Cao Viet Quynh. Photo: Provided by character |
The Ho Chi Minh City Writers' Association also presented the Young Literature Award to Giai Du for the novella 'Lan tinh'. The Translated Literature category recognized Dino Buzzati's novel 'Hoang mac Tartar', translated by Huong Chau. The Literary Theory and Criticism Award went to Van Thanh Le for 'Van hoc thieu nhi Viet Nam dau the ky 21 - nhung dieu dong lai trong con mat nham'. The Poetry Award was given to Tran Mai Huong for her collection 'Nhung ngon gio bien cuong'. Each of these categories carried a prize of 10 million dong.
The Prose Award was granted to Truong Anh Quoc for his novel 'Trung khoi nghe song', along with a 12 million dong prize. The Commendation category included four works, with each author receiving 5 million dong. These works were Nguyen Minh Ngoc's novel 'Mien co tranh', Nguyen Hoai Nam's memoir 'Nhung ngay o Paris', Chau La Viet's epic poem 'Tieng chim rung va dat lua Tay Ninh', and Lisa Ridzen's novel 'Khi dan seu bay ve phuong Nam', translated by Minh Khoi.
On this occasion, the Association also welcomed 21 new poets, writers, literary critics, and translators.
Phuong Linh
