Famous writer’s teen tales reprinted this summer
Three books for children by writer Đoan Thạch Biền, who was famous in the 1980s-90s, have been reprinted by
HCM CITY — Vietnamese women and family values are the themes of six books by late author and journalist Ba Tung Long issued by the Trẻ (Youth) Publishing House.
Long was a leading female writer in South Viet Nam in the 1960s-70s. She wrote more than 400 short stories and 68 novels. Her works describe the culture and lifestyle of urban areas in the southern region.
The books include Tình Yeu Va Hận Thu (Love and Revenge), Hồng Nhan Đa Truan (Beautiful Women are Unlucky in Love), Nghĩa Tình Rang Buoc (Love Ties), Người Của Oan Thu (A Woman’s Revenge), Mot Thoang May Bay (A Moment) and Hanh Trang Vao Đời (The Luggage for Life ).
The stories were published in magazines before 1975 and were discovered by the writer’s son, author Nguyễn Đong Thuc.
The publication celebrates the writer’s 106th birthday anniversary.
All of the publications feature Vietnamese culture, southern women and their lifestyle.
“My mother Ba Tung Long’s works encourage women to live with self-confidence and self-belief. Her views about love, women and family issues are still fresh today,” said Thuc.
In 2019, Trẻ Publishing House reprinted a series of seven books on women by Long. They have received a warm response from readers.
“Female readers, particularly young girls, can learn many things from the female characters in writer Long’s books,” Nguyễn Bảo Tran of HCM City, a fan of Long's, said.
Tran began reading Long when she was in high school in the 1980s. She is now a mother of two teenage daughters.
Ba Tung Long, whose real name is Le Thị Bạch Van, was born in Đa Nẵng in 1915.
She worked as a teacher of Vietnamese and French literature at schools in Hoi An, such as Les Lauries, Tan Thịnh and Đạt Đuc.
She began her writing career in 1952 after her short stories were printed in newspapers. She wrote a column on women for the daily newspaper Sai Gòn Moi (New Sai Gòn).
After 1954, she moved to live in Sai Gòn (now Hồ Chí Minh City). She wrote for several leading newspapers and magazines, including Miền Nam (The South), Phụ Nữ Diễn Đan (Female Forum), Tiếng Vang (Echo), Phụ Nữ Ngay Mai ( Future Women) and Nhan Loại (Mankind).
During the 1960s, writing under her pen name Ba Tung Long, she was popular in the region’s literature with her works featuring women and women's rights.
Many of her works highlight Sai Gòn and its culture, local people and their daily life.
Long died in HCM City in 2006. VNS
