HCM CITY (VNS)— A visual arts competition based on the novel Life of Pi by Canadian author Yann Martel will be held in Viet Nam to mark the Word Book Day.

The Canadian embassy and Nha Nam Culture and Communication JSC announced yesterday that the competition is open to people aged 15 to 25 years, who, after reading the book or watching the film based on it, visually express its central messages or themes.

The visual arts may include, but is not limited to, drawings, paintings, photography, graphic designs and videos.

The winner will receive a BlackBerry Bold 9900 provided by Research in Motion, a Canadian telecommunications and wireless equipment company. In addition to the first winner, 10 runners-up will receive prizes from the organisers.

The deadline for submissions is May 30, 2013. Competitors should send their entries to Nha Nam JSC, 59 Do Quang St, Ha Noi, or email them to cuocdoicuapi2013@gmail.com.

"Life of Pi continues to impress people the world over. As we celebrate 40 years of Canada-Viet Nam diplomatic relations, I believe that this award winning novel will spark the creativity of many young people here in Viet Nam. I look forward to seeing how they express what this fascinating story means to them personally," said Canadian Ambassador Deborah Chatsis.

"Nha Nam is proud to have introduced many important Canadian works of literature to Vietnamese readers, including Life of Pi," said Nguyen Nhat Anh, director of Nha Nam JSC.

"We hope that through these books, Vietnamese readers will have a better understanding of the beauty and diversity of Canada," he added.

Life of Pi received the Man Booker prize in 2002.

The film based on the novel won four awards at the 2013 Oscars, including Best Director for Ang Lee.

The book tells the story of 16 year old Pi's long journey on a small boat in the Pacific ocean with an unexpected companion, a Bengal tiger. A Canadian embassy press release says that "unlimited imagination and rich storytelling" makes the book "one of the most epic and unexpected tales in contemporary literature". —VNS