(GLO) - After more than two decades of nurturing her literary dreams, poet Ngô Thanh Vân has published five poetry collections, two short story collections and two essay collections.
For her, literature only comes alive when it touches the heart, turning into a love that sings, her greatest wish is to accompany readers through the most simple and sincere things.
Poet Ngô Thanh Vân. Photo provided by Ngô Thanh Vân
You began writing at an early age. Were those years with “Gia đình Áo trắng” your most radiant literary springtime?
- I started writing poetry in high school, though my early works were clumsy. At university, I joined the literature club at the Youth Cultural House, which helped me grow more confident with my words. I began sending manuscripts to newspapers, and seeing them published, along with receiving royalties, gave me motivation.
That period also allowed me to meet many established writers and poets, as well as peers of my generation. One of the most influential was writer Đoàn Thạch Biền, whose encouragement inspired me greatly.
Later, when I moved from the bustling city to the Central Highlands, his support helped me remain connected to friends and colleagues of the Áo trắng anthology. In Pleiku, we formed the Gia đình Áo trắng Pleiku, continuing to write and nurture literature together.
Your collection “Qua miền nhớ” came before “Mười hai tháng sáu,” but the latter, named after your birthday, is considered your most personal work. Why?
- “Mười hai tháng sáu” is my favorite collection. June 12 is also my birthday, so the title became a personal memento, a brand of my own quietly built through words.
With this work, I experimented with a new writing style, different from “Qua miền nhớ.” To my surprise, it was warmly received by fellow writers.
The language, themes, and imagery revealed another side of me, different from the gentle image people usually see. Even the book cover still impresses me today. That freedom to evolve is what I carry forward in my creative journey.
Poet Ngô Thanh Vân (fourth from the right) with fellow writers in Hanoi. Photo provided by Ngô Thanh Vân
In “Vân môi say phố,” readers say the city in your prose captures every shade of emotion. Was that your intention?
- Yes. “Vân môi say phố” is one of three books I dedicate to Pleiku, along with “Miền sương tản phố” and “Nồng nẫu bazan”, a poetry collection I plan to release later this year.
I wanted to record every corner of this city out of deep affection. My stories evoke nostalgia for Pleiku in the 1980s and 1990s, when I was growing up.
Hardship was common, not only in my family, and I hope readers find their own memories reflected there. Pleiku’s changing seasons stir countless emotions. For me, it is a place people always long to return to.
After eight years, you returned with the poetry collection “Vân không.” What does this comeback mean to you?
- “Vân không” marks my return after eight years without publishing poetry. Those years were full of upheaval—success, failure, joy, and hardship. They shaped me and gave me serenity, which I now express through poetry.
The title means a tranquil cloud drifting freely across the sky. I remind myself to keep moving, slowly if needed, just never stopping.
At the book launch in Hanoi, held alongside my adoptive father and poet Lê Thuận Nghĩa, we shared a theme: “The Flow of Words Between Father and Daughter.” Our voices may differ, but they resonate in a shared passion for poetry.
Poet Ngô Thanh Vân (center) at her book launch in Hanoi. Photo provided by Ngô Thanh Vân
For this book launch, my adoptive father—a fellow poet, a physician who has always cared for my health, and a revered father figure—chose the capital as the venue, making it a beautiful memory for his birthday. Living and working in Germany, having his first book launch in Hanoi was deeply meaningful for him. It was also special for me, a daughter of the highlands returning to the capital to present my latest work.
With the theme “The Flow of Words Between Father and Daughter,” our two poetic voices—two generations—are different, yet share a resonance and connection. The meeting point is the voice of the soul, of poetry, and a shared passion for creativity distilled over time. Poets hope to touch readers’ hearts with the simplest, most sincere things.
As Vice President of the Gia Lai Provincial Association of Literature and Arts, you also nurture young writers. How do you see the literary future of the Central Highlands?
- The search for young literary talents is always our concern. Literature is a flowing stream, with each generation enriching the cultural soil.
While the artistic path is deeply personal, creating supportive conditions allows seeds to sprout and grow strong.
Through creative workshops with students and ethnic minority writers, I have witnessed their passion.
Many still turn to books and write their own stories sincerely and innocently. I only hope they keep this love alive. In time, new voices may rise from the basalt soil of our land, carrying forward the cultural heritage of the Central Highlands.
Thank you for this engaging conversation. Wishing you good health, happiness, and boundless creativity.
Poet Ngô Thanh Vân (born 1981) is Vice President of the Gia Lai provincial Association of Literature and Arts, a member of the Vietnam Writers’ Association, and of the Association of Literature and Arts of Vietnam’s Ethnic Minorities.
Her works include five poetry collections (Qua miền nhớ, Mười hai tháng sáu, Phác thảo đêm, Nằm nghe lá thở, Vân không), two short story collections (Thì thầm với anh, Đất khách), and two essay collections (Miền sương tản phố, Vân môi say phố).
She has received multiple awards, including the Young Author Award from the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations (2009) and the Gia Lai Literature and Arts Award (2005–2015).
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(GLO) – The photo entitled "Going to school together" ("Cùng em đến trường" in Vietnamese) by the photographer Tran Phu Toan, living in Gia Lai won a third prize at the “Smile of Vietnam” photo contest.
