Well-known Vietnamese writer Anh Duc died on August 21 in Ho Chi Minh City aged 79 after many years fighting illnesses.

Writer Anh Duc, real name Bui Duc Ai, was born in 1935 in the southern province of An Giang.

He took part in the American war at a young age and was assigned to work at Nam Bo Cuu Quoc newspaper in 1953. Around this time, he received his first national award of Cuu Long Literature and Arts.

Three years later he won first prize in the short story category at a competition organised by the Literature and Arts Magazine.

Later, he was awarded the Nguyen Dinh Chieu Prize for Literature in 1965 for his novel Hon Dat about the war.

An extract from Hon Dat is often used for high school literature students, and it has been turned into a movie with the same name by director Hong Sen.

In 2000, the writer grabbed the Ho Chi Minh Prize, one of the top awards in the country, for his great contribution to Vietnamese literature during the war.

He has been described as gentle, profound, free and easy, which are all reflected in his works.

He did not write many works but his masterpieces such as Mot Chuyen Chep O Benh Vien, Giac Mo Ong Lao Vuon Chim and Buc Thu Ca Mau have become bedside reading for many generations of Vietnamese literature lovers.

Anh Duc was also a successful manager. He was editor-in-chief of Van Nghe Giai Phong newspaper, editor-in-chief of Van Magazine and a member of the HCM City and Vietnam Writers Associations' executive committees.-VNA