Vietnamese writers take part in French contest

Tran Minh Quang has become the winner of the the second journalism writing contest Young Francophones Reporters (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - Tran Minh Quang from northern mountainous Dien Bien province has won first prize in the journalism writing contest Young Francophones Reporters –Vietnam 2017, which was held for the second time by Le Courrier du Vietnam (CVN), a weekly French language newspaper under the Vietnam News Agency.

Quang won for his reportage on Nev Tickners, an Australian man, and his love for the mountainous city of Dien Bien Phu and Vietnam.

Fascinated at the Dien Bien Phu victory in 1954 against French colonialists, he was struck with Dien Bien province, where he decided to move, soon growing attached to the people.

“The contest was very interesting as it has encouraged me a lot to learn French, and to improve my language,” Quang said at the awards ceremony on November 4.

Second prize went to Dao Thi Nga with an entry about the role of Vietnamese mothers in war and society, and third prize was presented to Le Thi Bao Nhung for a story about young people preserving culture.

The competition, themed “The power of words” aims to encourage French-speakers in Vietnam aged from 18 to 35 years old to write articles about Vietnam in French, while showing the vitality of French through their writing.

It provides an opportunity for Vietnamese and foreign participants to express their points of view about the country, while highlighting the richness of French.

Over the six months of the contest, the organisation board received more than 50 entries.

“The competition has fulfilled its initial goals, which are to promote the image of the only French-language newspaper in Vietnam, to create a playground of creativity for young Francophones in Vietnam, to offer chances for contestants to familiarise themselves with journalism as well as to introduce Vietnam’s culture and people to the community of 80 Francophonie countries”, said Nguyen Thu He, Editor-in-chief of CVN.

The jury was composed of journalists, French language teachers, writers, representatives of OIF and of different Francophone embassies.-VNA