The cover of the English edition of The Wandering Ballad of Cụ Mén. — Photo courtesy of Quốc Hải

HÀ NỘI — The English edition of Phạm Hồng Điệp’s The Wandering Ballad of Cụ Mén has topped two Amazon Hot New Releases charts just one day after its release on September 1. 

The book ranked first in Hot New Releases – Asian Poetry and Poetry of Places, and in second place on the Best Sellers lists in both categories.

In the Poetry of Places category, Điệp’s book ranked ahead of several international titles, including Leaves of Grass by American poet Walt Whitman and The Distance of a Shout: Selected Poems by Michael Ondaatje.

Điệp’s epic poem portrays an ordinary, humorous Vietnamese farmer with a wealth of life experience. Through Cụ Mén’s journey, it brings readers vivid images of rural life, the Vietnamese people and the country’s cultural traditions.

“Cụ Mén is more than just the author’s own creation,” said Pierre Bordeaux, CEO of Apex International SAS in France.

“I believe this is what gives the work the ability to transcend the boundaries of language and geography. International readers may not fully understand every Vietnamese custom or cultural nuance, but they can still recognise the universal values reflected in Cụ Mén’s journey: love for one’s homeland, respect for labour, compassion and the desire for self-discovery.”

The Wandering Ballad of Cụ Mén was presented on the sidelines of Việt Nam Update 2026, held at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University on September 4. 

It was also introduced at NETRI Workshop 4 in Canberra as part of SheMBA by HP Global X on September 5. 

A businessman and lawyer from Hải Phòng, Điệp is also passionate about literature and the arts. He has written numerous works of poetry and prose, many of which have been set to music by composers. —  VNS