Bilingual Vietnamese-Korean poetry collection published

The bilingual Vietnamese-Korean poetry collection 'Chúng ta có thể suốt đời chờ nhau' (We can Wait for Each Other Forever). — Photo nongnghiep.vn

HÀ NỘI — A poetry collection written in both Vietnamese and South Korean has been published.

The Việt Nam Writers Association worming in conjunction with South Korean writers have published Chúng ta có thể suốt đời chờ 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 South Korean poets, with the introduction written by Vũ Quần Phương.

"The general impression of the poetry collection is a sense of novelty and freshness," Phương said.

"The South 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 Hữu Thỉnh, Trần Đăng Khoa, Hữu Việt, Trần Hùng, Lương Ngọc An, Phan Thị Thanh Nhàn, and Nguyễn Bảo Chân.

Meanwhile, the South Korean 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 South Korean writers and poets visited and worked with the Việt Nam Writers Association for the collaboration.

"The remarkable development of Việt Nam in various fields, including literature, has always attracted attention and left valuable lessons for other countries," said writer Bang Hyun-suk.

Nguyễn Quang Thiều, chairman of the Việt Nam Writers' Association said: "We continue to promote the literary exchange between Việt Nam and South Korea 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 South Korean literature."

Vietnamese and South Korean writers have strengthened their literary ties, with 16 South Korean poets attending the 22nd Việt Nam Poetry Day in early 2024 at the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long, Hà Nội.

Works by contemporary Vietnamese writers and poets such as Hữu Thỉnh, Nguyễn Quang Thiều, Thanh Thảo and Nguyễn Bình Phương have appeared in literary anthologies published in South Korea.

Bình Phương's novel Mình và họ (Us and Them) has been particularly well-received in South Korea.

The works of Han Kang, the South Korean writer who received the Nobel Prize in Literature this year, were also translated and introduced in Việt Nam in 2011. — VNS