Writer Anh Duc, real name Bui Duc Ai, was born in 1935 in the southern province of An Giang.
Hetook part in the American war at a young age and was assigned to workat Nam Bo Cuu Quoc newspaper in 1953. Around this time, he received hisfirst 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.
Anextract 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 HongSen.
In 2000, the writer grabbed the Ho Chi Minh Prize, one ofthe top awards in the country, for his great contribution to Vietnameseliterature during the war.
He has been described as gentle, profound, free and easy, which are all reflected in his works.
Hedid not write many works but his masterpieces such as Mot Chuyen Chep OBenh Vien, Giac Mo Ong Lao Vuon Chim and Buc Thu Ca Mau have becomebedside reading for many generations of Vietnamese literature lovers.
AnhDuc was also a successful manager. He was editor-in-chief of Van NgheGiai Phong newspaper, editor-in-chief of Van Magazine and a member ofthe HCM City and Vietnam Writers Associations' executive committees.-VNA