Poetry lovers highlight national sea, islands at festival

Poetry lovers from within and outside the country flocked to Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam (the Temple of Literature) in Hanoi on March 5 to join in National Poetry Day, the biggest poetry festival in the country, spotlighting the national sea and islands.
Poetry lovers from within and outside the country flocked to VanMieu-Quoc Tu Giam (the Temple of Literature) in Hanoi on March 5 to joinin National Poetry Day, the biggest poetry festival in the country,spotlighting the national sea and islands.

Theevent, the 13th of its kind so far, offers venues for both young andtraditional poetry lovers and provides more space for foreign poets,revealed Do Han, a member of the organising board.

Along with members of the Vietnam Writers’ Association, the traditionalarena also attracted students from six universities and nearly 20 poetryclubs from Hanoi and other eight localities across the country.

Fifteen well-known Vietnamese poets are expected to introduce theirworks in French with illustrative drawings by a renowned French artist,said Han.

Meanwhile, 100 outstanding poets will alsojoin exchanges with foreign colleagues and ten participating publishinghouses will introduce pieces about Vietnam’s struggle for independence.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, poet Huu Thinh,Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association, noted that activities forthe Vietnam National Poetry Day are underway in more than 100 locationsnationwide.

In Hanoi, the event drew 150 poets,writers and translators from 43 countries and territories, a reflectionof the miraculous power of poetry to connect people, he said.

The participation of the Coast Guard High Command and Border GuardHigh Command is also a highlight of the event, bringing a number ofinteresting pieces celebrating the sea and islands, he stated.

Poet Nguyen Viet Chien, the author of the famous poem “To quoc nhin tubien” (Fatherland Seen from Sea), who was chosen to be the first toperform his work at the event, said he is pleased with the NationalPoetry Day celebration.

National Poetry Day, whichcoincides with the second Asian-Pacific Poetry Festival and the thirdInternational Conference on Vietnamese literacy promotion this year,presents a good chance for Vietnamese poetry to reach foreign friendsand deepen their understanding of the national defence cause, he said.

At the same time, President of the Union of RussianWriters Luginov Nikolai Alekseevich said he is impressed with theevent’s crowded turnout despite the cold and drizzling weather in the 15th day of the first lunar month.-VNA

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