Children’s books by Chilean author released in Vietnam

The Vietnamese edition of the three works titled “Estrella”, “Estrella y Luz” and “Kuyen” by Chilean author Roberto Fuentes (Photo courtesy of the publishing house)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese version of a series comprised of three children’s books penned by famous Chilean author Roberto Fuentes is slated to be introduced to the public during a ceremony held in Hanoi by the Vietnam Education Publishing House on December 15.

The famous short stories by Fuentes dedicated to children and teenagers include “Estrella”, “Estrella y Luz” and “Kuyen”.

The works of the 47-year-old writer are the best sellers in Chile. The author started writing at a young age. He said that children and teenagers inspire him. 

Regarding his first series translated into Vietnamese, Fuentes said the main character of the three books is Estrella, a curious yet gentle girl. Estrella is straightforward, and has a superpower which provides her a unique perspective of the world. 

Through Estrella’s experience, the author hoped that readers can spend time finding their treasured values and choosing a wonderful and happy way of life. 

He also wished that his works can reach children in many countries, including Vietnam, with the series helping to enhance children’s reading habit.

In 2007, Fuentes won the prestigious El Barco de Vapor prize for children’s literature initiated by Spain’s SM Fund with the novel entitled “Oreste y las luces volcanicas” (The West and Volcanic Lights). He also bagged numerous literary awards in Chile and Latin America.

His works have been released in Mexico, Italy and Israel, and introduced into the school curriculum in Chile. 

The short stories are expected to attract young readers in Vietnam, bolstering mutual understanding between young people within both countries.

Vietnam’s publishing industry has constantly grown, with the country ranking first in Southeast Asia in the number of titles published in a year. Last year, the publishing industry had 440 million copies of books and 37,100 titles introduced. This figure was equal to 4.6 books per person per year.

Publishing revenue increased by 36 percent this year compared to 2014, while the number of copies of books published rose by 16 percent and the number of titles published went up by 30 percent.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued Decision No.284/QD-TTg on February 24, 2014, designating April 21 as Vietnam Book Day in order to encourage reading culture among the public.

After five years of implementing the PM’s decision, Vietnam Book Day has been organised nationwide on constantly growing scale. Activities within the programme have been held not only in major cities and provinces, but also in rural, mountainous and remote areas.

Statistics released by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) showed that over 66 million Vietnamese students and more than 4.7 officials and teachers participated in Vietnam Book Day. The “Bookcase for prisoners” model is a spotlight during the realisation of the PM’s decision. Currently, 60 bookcases are set up in 54 prisons and three compulsory education centres.

Nearly 160,000 publications, with 1.9 billion copies, were released over the past five years, contributing to improving public knowledge.

Many schools and communities have set up their own libraries. Two big cities – Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City – have operated book streets, while many localities regularly organise book festivals. A national book award has been held every year.

In the next five years, the number of book titles published is projected to rise by half and book copies by 100 percent, while such activities as book days, book streets and book fairs will be multiplied across the country.

Vietnam has set the target of developing the reading culture in the community by increasing the number of books owned by each Vietnamese to 4, excluding textbooks, per year and continuing to build and develop private libraries and family bookcases, with 30-40 percent of households having bookcases./.