Book lovers: British author Andy Stanton (centre) awards prizes to the winners of a drawing and writing contest about Mr Gum which was launched in March by the British Council and Nha Nam Publishing House. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tung

HA NOI — Viet Nam National Library in Ha Noi has been stocking up with Western classics for European Literature Day, which began yesterday.

The books, which have recently been published in Vietnamese, include classics, contemporary novels and short stories, books for young readers, comics and even an entertaining history of philosophy from Italy, Spain, Wallonia-Brussels (Belgium), Germany, Great Britain, Denmark, and Poland.

Literature Day has been organised by the European Union of National Institute for Culture in co-operation with the Viet Nam National Library.

During the two-day event there will also be discussions, books presentations and readings in the library's entrance hall.

This is the second time the event has been held in Ha Noi for the annual Europe Days celebrations.

Today, Denmark will host an interactive programme with parents during which books for small children will be read and educational games played with two – to five-year-olds from 9-10am. Stories in Luc Buc Town and Taynikma will also be handed out.

The illustrated Stories in Luc Buc Town was developed with the support of Danish writer Sally Altschuler and illustrator Tove Krebs Lange.

Taynikma is a series of thrilling adventures by authors Merlin P Mann and Jan Kjaer. The series pioneers a dynamic new combination of words and pictures and set in a familiar and fantasy world.

There will also be two discussions involving those in the publishing industry and keen readers and discounted book on sale.

Also in the morning, the author of Mr Gum, Andy Stanton, from Britain will meet young readers. Later he will participate in a roundtable discussion with Vietnamese writers and translators on the topics Introducing foreign literature in Viet Nam and Building bridges with books: bringing foreign literature to Viet Nam.

Yesterday, author Stanton awarded prizes to the winners of a drawing and writing contest about Mr Gum. In addition, the British Council and the Nha Nam Publishing House launched the 7th Mr Gum book.

Today, junior readers will be offered books such as Cedric by Amelie Nothomb, from the Wallonie-Brussels delegation; Manolito and The Story of a Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly, from Spain and a trilogy of historical fantasies by Italian writer Italo Calvino.

In addition, the Spanish embassy and the Cervantes Institute will hold a display on the history of book publishing from old manuscripts to contemporary electronic books. The Spanish embassy will also hold an exhibition on Don Quixote de la Mancha, that was first published in Spain in 1605.

Meanwhile, the Polish book that won the Literary Translation Award in 2006 by the Ha Noi Writers Association entitled Loneliness on the Net by Janusz L Wisniewski will be on show. Since its release in 2006, the book has become extremely popular in Viet Nam. The book's translator, Nguyen Thi Thanh Thu, will talk about the translation process at 2pm.

Meanwhile, Andreas Steinhofel and Richard D Precht from the Goethe Institute will introduce three books about philosophy and friendship from 4pm to 6pm.

The exhibition of European literature will show more than 300 titles that have been translated into Vietnamese since 1950s. — VNS