HA NOI (VNS)— The grand prize for the Viet Nam Best Book Awards 2013 has been awarded to a history of the special relationship between Viet Nam and Laos.

The book, Lich Su Quan He Dac Biet Viet Nam – Lao; Lao – Viet Nam, published by the National Political Publishing House, also received the Golden Award for the most beautifully designed book of the year at the award ceremony on Saturday in Ha Noi.

Of 350 entries from publishing houses nationwide, the jury singled out 96 books to receive best and most beautiful book awards.

Besides the grand prize, the four golden awards in the Best Book category went to the two-volume History of Thang Long – Ha Noi (Ha Noi Publishing House), Viet Nam – Economic Zones and Key Economic Zones (Education Publishing House), Handbook of Hydro-Project Engineering (Transportation and Traffic Publishing House), and Vietnamese – English Medical Dictionary (Medical Publishing House). Two Cats Sitting by the Window (Tre Publishing House), by well-known writer Nguyen Nhat Anh, is among the five works that received a golden award as a beautiful book.

These were the 9th awards presented by the Viet Nam Publishers Association. — VNS