Author encourages children (Vietnamnews 2-5-2010)

[bachkylan]

Author encourages children

In just one week after its release, Dao Mong Mo (Island of Dreams) had sold a 10,000 copies.

The book and its characters create a dreamland for many young readers in urban areas who have little opportunity to discover the natural world, and usually sit and chat on the telephone in front of the TV everyday.

The man who encourages children to be children is Nguyen Nhat Anh, called Peter Pan by many of his fans, both young and old. While most Vietnamese authors prefer to create fiction for adults, Anh weaves delightful fantasies and fairy tales for children.

Born in Quang Nam Province, Anh worked as a teacher for several years before becoming a cultural journalist for a variety of newspapers and magazines in HCM City. In 1990, he turned to writing and began capturing the hearts and minds of children and teenagers alike with his books.

Although many people have told him that writing books for children is not real literary work, Anh staunchly believes that children's books can only be written by a true author.

"Through my books, children can live in their own world where they can love and hate with their heart and soul," said the 55-year-old writer.

With each of his titles selling several thousand copies, Anh's books are often at the top of publishers' best-seller lists throughout the city. This is fantastic because Vietnamese children typically tend to prefer foreign books that are translated into Vietnamese. But Anh has changed that, and this is no small victory.

Thousands of children are now engrossed in the fascinating adventures and secrets of characters created by Anh. And through his books like Bong Bong Len Troi (Balloons Flying In The Sky) and Toi La Be To (I'm Be To), children learn about society and the environment around them. They also learn about the intricacies of human interaction and relationships.

The secret to his success? Anh says that while creating a book, he lives and thinks like a child, with a specific age and background.

While he has several successful publications to his credit, he senses his best books are yet to come which is good news for all concerned.

2-5-2010

VNS

by Thu Anh

(vietnamnews.vnanet.vn)