Literature award-winning historical novel debuts in English

‘Bien Ban Chien Tranh 1-2-3-4.75’ (A War Account January-April, 1975), a historical novel by Vietnamese writer-journalist, Tran Mai Hanh, was recently released in English by the National Political Publishing House-The Truth.

The cover of the English version of ‘A War Account January-April, 1975’

The 500-page novel, translated by Manh Chuong, truthfully recounts the last days of the fall of the American-backed Saigon regime between January and April 1975. It is developed based on interviews with and confessions of figures in key positions in the regime.

The Vietnamese version of the novel, released in 2014, won the Vietnam Writers Association’s Literature Award (VWALA) in 2014 in the prose category, and the Southeast Asian Writers Award (S.E.A.Write Award) in 2015.

The novel has been highly appreciated by the juries of the awards because of its objective journalistic narrative, and unique literary value, providing readers with an overview of the Great Spring Victory 1975, while offering excellent suggestions on historical lessons.

This is the first time a VWALA-winning novel has been translated in English, following a decision issued in January 2016 by the Vietnam Writers’ Association. Accordingly, the publication of the English version aims to introduce to foreign readers the expanse of Vietnamese literary works on the country’s history of liberation and defence as well as Vietnamese people’s aspiration for peace.

It is also part of the events to celebrate the upcoming 42nd anniversary of the liberation of South Vietnam and national reunification (April 30, 1975-2017).

Born in 1943, Tran Mai Hanh was a former Vietnam News Agency journalist, who was present on many fronts and battlefields during the national resistance war against the US.

(Source: NDO)