On the afternoon of December 3, 2021, the National Library of Viet Nam in collaboration with the Wallonia-Brussels General Delegation to Viet Nam, held the opening of the French-speaking Belgian Literature Day. The ceremony was co-chaired by Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga, Director of the National Library of Viet Nam(NLV), and Mr. Nicolas Dervaux, Representative of the Government of the French-speaking Belgian Community and the Government of the Wallonia Region of Belgium in Viet Nam.
Among those at the event were Mr. Tran Nhat Hoang, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam; Mr. Paul Jansen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Viet Nam; and Mr. Chékou Oussouman, Director of the Asia – Pacific Region, International Organization of La Francophonie; translators, lecturers, and students of French from several universities in Ha Noi, as well as representatives from a number of publishers, press, and television agencies,were also in attendance.
The French-speaking Belgian Literature Day is an event taking place on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Wallonia-Brussels Mission in Viet Nam, including a series of activities: A 20-photo exhibition featuring Dany's comics who is the world famous French-speaking Belgian cartoonist and the cover photo of Wallonia-Brussels' literary works which has been published in Vietnamese; Online exchange with the writer Jean-Marc Turine about his work "The Story of the Digan Woman" (International Francophonie's Five Continents Award 2018); Online exchange with the author Laurent Demoulin about the book “Robinson” (Victor-Rossel Prize 2017) on the occasion of releasing its Vietnamese publications.
Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga, speaking at the opening ceremony, stated that this event is a new development in the existing good relationship between the NLVand the Wallonia-Brussels General Delegation, which has previously been demonstrated through book sponsorship programs and promotional activities for Francophone literature. She also emphasized that this is an opportunity for "the public and library readers, particularly those who love and use French, to learn more about Belgian contemporary literature in French, to interact with famous authors whose works have been well received by the Vietnamese public, and to help authors have the opportunity to share about themselves, about their circumstances of composition and their creations."
Appreciating the cooperation in organizing the French-speaking Belgian Literature Day at the NLV, Mr. Nicolas Dervaux declared that "The love for a language is initially communicated through the feelings it evokes. Exploring original works and interacting with their creators is a step further towards the beginning in this complicated yet rich language. A literarywork is more than simply words, it permits ideas and values to be communicated. The Wallonia-Brussels General Delegation and its partners have a mission to actively support anyone who desires to learn French in all its aspects..."
Mr. Paul Jansen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Viet Nam, expressed his delight when the works of famous Belgian writers were introduced to the Vietnamese public in the Vietnameselanguage, viewing this as an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of French-speaking Belgian contemporary literature in Viet Nam. He also looked forward to having such events in the future, not only in literature but also in other fields.
On the occasion of the opening ceremony of the French-speaking Belgian Literature Day, Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga had a meeting andworked with Mr. Nicolas Dervaux to discuss cooperation between the two parties. Thereby, the two leaders stated that they would continue to encourage cooperative activities in the future as well as enhance understanding and cultural exchange between Viet Nam and the French-speaking Belgian Community and the Wallonia region of Belgium.
Photos of the same event:
Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga, Director of the National Library of Viet Nam spoke at the ceremony
Mr. Paul Jansen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Viet Nam spoke at the ceremony
Mr. Nicolas Dervaux, Representative of the Government of the French-speaking Belgian Community and the Government of the Wallonia Region of Belgium in Viet Nam spoke at the ceremony
Delegates took souvenir photos
The public visited the exhibition
Mr. Chékou Oussouman, Mr. Nicolas Dervaux and translator Tran Van Cong at the event
Exchange with author Jean-Marc Turine about the work “The Story of the Digan woman”
Exchange with author Laurent Demoulin about the book “Robinson”
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News: Huong Giang; Photos: Viet Duc