HCM CITY — Nguyen Nhat Anh's novel about the funny and tragic events that occur in the lives of four urban children will be Viet Nam's nomination for this year's Southeast Asian Writers Award.
Cho Toi Xin Mot Ve Di Tuoi Tho (Give Me a Ticket Back to Childhood) is narrated by one of the four kids, a boy named Mui.
The world of Mui and his friends created such a strong impression on critics and readers of all ages that the book sold a record (for children's books) 20,000 copies within a week of being published in 2008.
The Viet Nam Writers Association selected Cho Toi Xin Mot Ve Di Tuoi Tho for the award which is given away by the Thai royal family to honour poets and writers in the region.
The HCM City-based Anh, who began writing in 1984, is known for his simple style and accurately depicting the purity and sensitivity of children's minds.
His other famous books are Thien Than Nho Cua Toi (My Little Angel), Nu Sinh (Schoolgirl) and Dao Mong Mo (The Dreamlike Island), all on the lives of young girls and boys and which have been reprinted by leading publishers.
His Toi La Be To (I'm Be To) received the Literature Award from HCM City Writers Association in 2008.
Last year veteran author Cao Duy Son's short story collection, Ngoi Nha Xua Ben Suoi (Old House by the Spring), was sent for the Southeast Asian Writers Award.
Son's seven stories were about the simple lifestyles of ethnic people living in a small, beautiful town in the mountainous province of Cao Bang. — VNS