On the afternoon of October 25, 2022, the National Library of Viet Nam (NLV) hosted a seminar on "French and Vietnamese detective literature through the perspective of famous writers" in partnership with the French Institute in Viet Nam and Nha Nam Culture and Communication Company.
Speakers and authors participated in the seminar were Mr. Nicolas Warnery, French Ambassador to Viet Nam, novelist Michel Bussi, Rouen University professor, and writer Di Li. Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga, Director of the NLV, Mrs. Sophie Maysonnave, Cultural Counselor of the French Embassy, Director of the French Institute, and many close readers of the library, attended the seminar as well.
Within the framework of the discussion, Ambassador Nicolas Warnery - author of Epitaphe pour un traître (Tentatively translated as "Inscription for Traitors") and La nuit du hussard (Tentatively translated as "Night of the Cavalry"); Writer Michel Bussi; and female writer Di Li - dubbed the "Queen of Vietnamese detective genre" - discussed the two countries' detective literature, similarities and differences, opportunities and challenges for anybody interested in pursuing a career in writing, particularly writing in the detective genre. The speakers also discussed the principles and methods of writing detective stories to strictly ensure logic, rationality, drama, and surprise; especially, the ability to think about the vast amount of knowledge and information that the author must be able to use as material for the work, thereby ensuring that detective remains a literary genre that attracts a large number of readers.
The discussion was also an opportunity to introduce the Vietnamese translation of Michel Bussi's latest book, Code 612: "Who killed the Little Prince?". The author is a geography professor, political scientist, and well-known detective novelist who has received over 15 major literary awards. He is also one of the four most-read French authors in 2011 in France. Michel Bussi is known as the "French detective king" with novels translated into 37 countries and adapted into a TV series.
Code 612: “Who killed the Little Prince?” is a book full of poetry and a message full of humanity released on the 75th anniversary of the birth of "The Little Prince". This will be a must-read for anyone who loves the story and its author, and Michel Bussi's signature style. With an ingenious pen, and a flexible, dramatic but still very humane writing style, Michel Bussi has left a mark on many Vietnamese readers through several familiar works such as: "Please don't let go", "Blackwater lily", "Cursed treasure", "Mother was wrong", "Escut in the sand" and so on.
At the seminar, Ms. Kieu Thuy Nga - Director of the National Library expressed her delight and welcomed the idea of the French Institute in Viet Nam to organize the seminar and hoped that readers would have the opportunity to learn more about this unique literary genre, how writers come to detective genre as well as their plans in the future; Especially, this is an opportunity to experience the emotions of suspense and drama through the episodes adapted from the famous detective work "Mother was wrong" by writer Michel Bussi.
Photos of the same event:
Overview of the Seminar
Speaker signing autographs for readers
Leaders of the National Library of Viet Nam took souvenir photos with the speakers
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News: Tuyết Dung; Photos: Thuỳ Dung