The Vietnam Writers' Association will launch a translation centre next month to help promote Vietnamese literature abroad, according to the association's chairman Huu Thinh.

The centre will gather English, French, Chinese, Russian, German, Japanese and Korean translators to introduce Vietnamese literature to the world.

"Despite much investment by the State in the development of literature and arts, these funds have mainly focused on new works, children's literature and literary criticism," said Thinh. "We don't have financial sources for translating literature."

Speaking at a seminar held recent in Hanoi , the chairman also stressed that Vietnamese culture would be isolated if not enough attention is paid to translating literary works.

"The association will propose a policy to develop translated literature to State leaders," he said in his speech at the conclusion of the seminar.

The seminar was held by the association to review work on translating literature over the past decade. Participants at the seminar were known writers and translators who also discussed the role of literature translators, principles and requirement to literature translation and creativity in translations.

According to a book entitled Vietnamese Literature Translators published in 2002 by the association's Translation Council in co-operation with the East-West Culture Centre, Vietnam has about 300 prominent translators who took part in translations from the 14th century until the late 20th century.

During the past years, translated literature, including foreign literature translated into Vietnamese, has made a contribution to culture exchange and international integration.-VNA