HA NOI — A unique poetry book made by calligrapher Tran Quoc An is expected to be recognised by the Guinness Book of Viet Nam.

The 300-page book took An eight months to compile, and contains 143 poems written by Professor Hoang Quang Thuan.

Titled Thi Van Yen Tu (Yen Tu's Poetry and Cloud), the book's covers are made from gu (sindora) wood and illustrated with an image of the Dong Pagoda with a lotus pattern.

General Vo Nguyen Giap's praise for the collection, "the poems were written by a human poet," has been carved by An in the front cover of the book.

The poems are presented in two styles of print and calligraphy and each one is partnered with a photo by photographer Pham Tu.

The book will be given to the Truc Lam Zen Monastery to display during the upcoming Yen Tu Festival.

An is already in the Guinness Book of Viet Nam for a 54kg book of poetry, a calligraphy version of Ho Chi Minh's Prison Diary, and the country's longest parallel sentences.

Director Vu Ngoc Dang among Men of the Year title winners

HCM CITY — Thirteen outstanding Vietnamese gentlemen working in different fields won Men of the Year awards for 2011, at a recent ceremony held in HCM City.

Winners included movie director Vu Ngoc Dang, actors Luong Manh Hai, Ho Vinh Khoa, and Hieu Hien who starred in the hit film Lost in Paradise which focused on homosexual relationships.

Composer Duong Khac Linh, Vietnamese-Australian singer Thanh Bui, theatre director Viet Tu, comedian Thai Hoa and fashion designer Cong Tri were also among this year winners, as well as 2010 Singer of the Year recipient Tung Duong.

Randy Dobson, general director of the California fitness & yoga centres, was the only foreigner to make the list.

All winners were selected for significant contributions to their fields and for their positive influence in society. — VNS