REPORTER: Hello writer Duong Thuy. Your last work was published in 2021, 4 years ago now. Why have you been "silent" for so long?

Writer DUONG THUY: After the book Love You with Your Eyes, Keep You with Your Heart was published in May 2021, I was a bit sad because the reading culture was no longer the same as before. The book was released when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, then social distancing, no one had the mind to read books. Maybe because of the pandemic, readers did not have the conditions to go to book launches, the annual book fair at Le Van Tam Park was also suspended, causing the reading spirit to not be as enthusiastic as before. As a writer myself, no matter how positive my thinking was, I lost my motivation. Now I think, what should I write that a readership really wants to read?

Nearly 20 years ago, with Beloved Oxford , or Closing My Eyes to See Paris, Waiting for You to Come to Francisco … domestic readers seemed to absorb a “new breeze” from your works, when the setting in the story was “transferred” to the West. Was this your intention, to be different from the works set in the country?

I had no intention of making my work different. At that time, I had the opportunity to work abroad, do an internship and then study in Europe. I was exposed to new things, experienced valuable things that helped me grow up, so I wanted to write stories to share what I learned. The short stories were initially published sporadically in the newspapers Tuoi Tre Chu Nhat, Nguoi Lao Dong, Thanh Nien, Ao Trang... and received many positive responses from readers. So I challenged myself with my first long story. I did not expect that Beloved Oxford , written in a very innocent way, without any sophisticated techniques, when it was first published 18 years ago, would have a special appeal to young readers.

The girls Quynh Mai, Tuyet Huong in Closing Your Eyes to See Paris, An in Waiting for You to Come to Francisco , or Kim in Loving Oxford were built by you as a generation of young Vietnamese people starting to step out into the world, thereby opening the trend of discovering and learning about the big world later on. What do you share about this?

Readers always ask me to continue writing about topics with foreign elements, positive experiences, cultural collisions... This world is vast, there are always new things for us to learn. In the future, when you have the opportunity to travel, study or work abroad more, many of you tell me that you are inspired by my books, you dare to dream of stepping out into the world, strive to pursue your goals and have initially succeeded in your journey to find the meaning of life.

Literature is often referred to as a hard job with little income. What has kept you attached to literature since you were a high school student until now?

Sadly, in Vietnam, few people can make a living solely from writing. Therefore, I also need a stable job and to grow in my professional environment. At the same time, I still write, even if it is only a sloppy job, but I maintain the habit of reading and writing to always renew myself every day.

Born in 1975, you are considered a generation that marked the changes of the country in general and of Ho Chi Minh City in particular. Standing before the moment of 50 years of national reunification, which is also 50 years of growing up with the city, what are your feelings?

Time flies so fast, I have tried to live slowly several times but living in dynamic Ho Chi Minh City, I am always caught up in the rapid development of the city. If I slow down for just one day, I will be left behind. Therefore, I think it is difficult to live slowly, just try to live in balance, gain one thing and accept losing another.

In your position, there are certainly many opportunities to live and work abroad, but why did you decide to stay in Ho Chi Minh City to work and write?

I am an emotional person, very closely connected to family, familiar things, and traditional values. The more I am exposed to the outside world, the more I understand that happiness and success are experienced and created by myself. Everyone needs to travel a lot to learn, at any age, we need to travel, observe the world, and absorb good things. And, importantly, we understand what we want, don't follow trends. This world is vast, but everyone's time is limited, choosing a suitable anchorage is the best thing.

Having been to many countries around the world, looking back at the 50-year journey of Ho Chi Minh City, how do you feel about the city's development?

25 years ago, when I stepped outside Vietnam, I saw many differences. But now, people living in Ho Chi Minh City when stepping out into the world will no longer feel bewildered. Ho Chi Minh City updates world trends very quickly. The city's people are also more humane, more friendly, welcoming people from other provinces and cities to study and work, and also welcoming foreigners from all over the world to seek opportunities.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nha-van-duong-thuy-viet-de-ke-nhung-cau-chuyen-tich-cuc-post793687.html