A small group of young Vietnamese writers have dominated the market in recent years, churning out artistically empty works which, nonetheless, find their way to the nightstands of young and avid readers.

From left to right: Writers Phan Y Yen, Ploy Ngoc Bich and Hoang Nhat

Filling the gap

The latest group of young Vietnamese writers, while well-known by their equally young, entertainment-seeking fans, have shown themselves lacking in ambition and vision. Their works largely revel in subjects that quickly catch the attention of a markedly individualistic group of young readers, ignoring the deeper societal issues that were addressed by writers of the past.

The subjects which this new generation of writers prefer to treat include romance and love stories that usually illustrate the passions and disappointments of youth.

Overall, these works dwell in the range of literary mediocrity, as their authors have not fully developed the basic craft of telling a story or structuring plot. But the area where they are most lacking, compared with the long tradition of Vietnamese literature, is that they fail to contain or promote any wider ideals, instead focusing on the little problems, failures and triumphs of individual life. Still, this appears to appeal to young readers, who find that their reflections in the types of situations depicted. As a result, there have been a large number of works that have gained popularity, but have not won much critical praise.

In the past several months, some of the books that have gained the attention of a youthful readership include “Barn-owl catcher” by Hoang Nhat, "The round earth, nothing is impossible” by Ploy Ngoc Bich, "Cat Tuong Flower, summer and you” by Dang Hong Ngoc and "Leaves in the city” by Le Xuan Khoa.

Some of them have become best-sellers both online and in bookstores.

In terms of style and content, “Barn-owl catcher” by Hoang Nhat, which has been well-received by the public by measure of its online sales, is an exception to the rule in that it does deal somewhat with some larger issues, such as corruption. Even in this work, however, it is only treated at a superficial level.

Future of Vietnamese literature: art and business

Dr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Director of Thai Ha Books expressed surprise at the number of young readers between the ages of 15 and 25 who regularly buy books. He attributed this to the fact that they had gotten into the habit of reading as students. While this is a good habit, he said, if young people are not given some type of guidance in their choices they will naturally turn to those literary works which speak to the issues that most closely resemble their own situations, hopes and fears.

For this reason, he added, a poorly-written piece of fiction such as Love Fiction (Diem Tinh), written by Duong Thuy, or quickly churned-out Chinese love novels can gain traction in the market.

In the larger scheme, there has not been enough new writers to make any valid argument that there is a new literary movement taking place. The situation in Vietnam is that a short list of youthful and enterprising ink-slingers, with Duong Thuy, Minh Nhat, Phan Hon Nhiet and Le Linh at the top, have stepped in to fill a void. .

In recent years, the trend of favouring translations of Chinese romance novels has also appeared in Vietnam. These works often show up the best-sellers lists, and are often referred to on literary forums. The numbers from these websites show that such works are continually viewed and downloaded.

Meanwhile, on the sidelines, Vietnamese literary critics turn up their noses at the trend, saying not only these books are unrealistic and lack artistic merit, but also warning that some of them actually ride the cusp of pornography pose potential moral dangers to teenagers.

Vietnam's new market-based publishing world is dominated by companies that are driven by the bottom line; companies that obviously care much more for books which they know will sell, giving content a back-seat to profits.

That said, the authors themselves are exactly getting rich on the back-end. In a standard contract, a writer might make royalties of around 10% of total book sales. But, even if thousands of books are sold at an average price of VND100,000 (USD4.76), even the most popular writers are forced to find other ways to make a living. Many turn to script writing, journalism or other business activities.

The country of origin of the books that are most widely consumed in this country is of little concern. What is of great concern, however, is that we develop a a readership educated and discerning enough to choose books which contribute to Vietnam's rich literary legacy. Publishing houses also have a responsibility to select works that are suited to the young readers who make up their customer base.