Veteran journalist Tran Mai Hanh wins S.E.A Writers Awards
(VOV) - With the novel ‘Bien Ban Chien Tranh 1-2-3-4.75’ (War Minutes January-April, 1975), veteran journalist Tran Mai Hanh was declared the winner of this year’s prestigious South East Asian Writers Awards at a ceremony in Bangkok, Thailand on December 14.
War Minutes - the non-fiction work - covers the historic fall of the American-backed Sai Gon regime and the fates of most of its leaders.
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The 19-chapter work is based on interviews with and confessions of figures in key positions in the Sai Gon regime. It depicts in detail the collapse of defence lines around Sai Gon by drawing on original telegraphs, meeting minutes of regime leaders, newspaper articles and Sai Gon radio broadcast between January and April of 1975.
Mr Hanh said he spent nearly 40 years on writing the novel. He hoped that the novel will help ASEAN readers have a better understanding about the glorious period of Vietnam’s history.
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Earlier, the novel won the highest prize in the prose category of the Vietnamese Literary Awards.
S.E.A Writers Awards were established in 1979 and sponsored by the Thai Royal Family. The annual awards aim to honour outstanding writers, poets and authors from 10 ASEAN countries and promote regional literary diversification to the world.
Vietnam joined the awards in 1996. So far, eighteen Vietnamese writers have been awarded, namely To Huu, Ma Van Khang, Huu Thinh, Nguyen Khai, Nguyen Duc Mau, Nguyen Kien, Bang Viet, Do Chu, Inrasana, Le Van Thao, Tran Van Tuan, Nguyen Ngoc Tu, Cao Duy Son, Nguyen Nhat Anh, Nguyen Chi Trung, Trung Trung Dinh, Thai Ba Loi, and Thanh Thao.