11 Vietnamese publishers and contributors in Việt Nam will attend the 14th Asian Festival of Children’s Content AFCC. Photo afcc.com.sg

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will be the Country of Focus (COF) of the 14th Asian Festival of Children’s Content (AFCC) as this year marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and Singapore.

The festival, which will take place at the National Library Building in Singapore from May 25-28, returns as a fully in-person event, celebrating the theme “Play!”. With over 70 programmes featuring more than 100 writers and speakers from Singapore and around the world, AFCC 2023 explores the different dimensions of “Play” through books, stories and performances.

According to Nguyễn Nguyên, Director of the Publishing, Printing and Distribution Department, Vice Chairman of the Vietnamese Publishers Association (VPA), the Vietnamese participants in this year’s event are encouraged to have thorough preparation and coordination with each other to promote Vietnamese literature.

The VPA and participating units will set up booths to introduce outstanding Vietnamese children's books, special and creative publications as well as reading devices.

Eleven Vietnamese publishers and contributors in Việt Nam will attend the event, including the HCM City General Publishing House, Thế Giới (World) Publishing House, Kim Đồng Publishing House and Đinh Tị Books.

"Many foreign countries are not yet familiar with Vietnamese publishing, but those who know about it have a high opinion of it. Therefore, we need to make an effort to clearly demonstrate the development of Vietnamese books," the director told zing.vn.

According to Vũ Thị Yến, public relations and copyright exploitation officer of the HCM City General Publishing House, AFCC 2023 offers an opportunity for the unit to promote the exploitation of foreign copyrights and vice versa, the selling of the copyrights of Vietnamese books to the world.

“It is also expected to enhance further the position of Vietnamese authors, publishers and their works in the global publishing map,” she added.

To prepare for this book festival, the publisher plans to introduce children's books that meet its criteria and target audience. Multilingual children’s books particularly include Hip Hop in the Land of Ellsaby and Hip Hop and the Golden Forest by author Isabelle Muller, which have been released in Việt Nam in three languages - English, German and Vietnamese, or bilingual book series Teaching Children Life Skills and Teaching Children Financial Management by Dr. Lê Thị Linh Trang and Ngô Thị Thanh Tiên.

The cover of 'Hip Hop and the Golden Forest' by author Isabelle Muller, which have been released in Việt Nam in three languages - English, German and Vietnamese. The book will be introduced at AFCC 2023 by HCM City General Publishing House. — Photo courtesy of the publisher

According to the organisers of AFCC 2023, the COF Vietnam programmes at AFCC will be an occasion to celebrate this milestone and highlight the history of children's literature in Việt Nam and publishing opportunities, as well as a special showcase of the best picture book illustrations.

Participants will get the chance to meet the best of Việt Nam’s children's book writers and illustrators at the Country of Focus showcase.

In the opening session of programmes which will be held on May 25, translator Trần Lê Thùy Linh, author Vũ Xuân Hoàn and moderator Nguyễn Thành Nam will offer an in-depth look into the current market of children’s books in Việt Nam. Participants will learn about the current publishing developments and trends, as well as the challenges and opportunities.

Việt Nam Women's Publishing House will share how they have developed the Sci-tales series that aims to bring the element of fun into the learning process in collaboration with a team of creators from Việt Nam on May 26.

On the final day of the COF Vietnam programmes, creators of three Vietnamese children’s books, Finding Mommy Elephant, The Call of the Wild, and My Daddy is a Runner, will share their inspirations, the process of creating stories and also practical advice on the diverse range of interactive activities that parents and children can engage in.

The programmes conclude with COF Vietnam Night which celebrates the partnership between Việt Nam and Singapore with performances and the launch of translated children's books.

AFCC is the leading festival in Asia for children’s stories and young adult fiction. Targeted at writers, illustrators, translators, publishers, educators and media professionals, the event offers a series of exciting programmes, including panel discussions, presentations, workshops, lectures, masterclasses, networking sessions and public programmes that promote the creation and appreciation of quality children's and young adult literature with a focus on Asian themes. VNS