THỪA THIÊN-HUẾ — The Phùng Quán Foundation, founded in memory of the late famous writer and poet Phùng Quán, has been forced to close due to a shortage of funds.

Poet Ngô Minh, founder and manager of the foundation, announced the closing of foundation because of its financial complete exhaustion.

Founded in 2011, the foundation aims to encourage excellent pupils from the writer Quán’s hometown in Thủy Dương Ward, Hương Thủy Town, Thừa Thiên-Huế Province. It also aims to praise outstanding works of literature by Huế authors. The foundation has been run with more than VNĐ100 million (about US$4,400), which is the remains of donations from kind-hearted people to build the tomb for writer Quán and his wife. The foundation has also received small contributions from two other sponsors.

Born in 1932 in Thủy Dương Commune, Hương Thủy District in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, Phùng Quán in 1945 joined the Vệ Quốc Quân force, which is the predecessor of the Việt Nam People’s Army.

His debut literary work, Vượt Côn Đảo (Escape from Côn Đảo Island Prison) rose to fame, receiving the Việt Nam Writers’ Association Prize in 1955.

In 1988, he published his novel Tuổi Thơ Dữ Dội (The Fierce Childhood) and received the Children’s Literature Prize of the Việt Nam Writers’ Association in 1990.

Alongside novels, Quán also composed several famous poems including Hoa Sen (Lotus), Hôn (Kiss) and Đêm Nghi Tàm Đọc Đỗ Phủ Cho Vợ Nghe (Reading Poems by Đỗ Phủ for my Wife in the Night in Nghi Tàm). His wife is Vũ Thị Bội Trâm, a teacher at the Chu Văn An High School in Hà Nội.

Quán passed away on January 22, 1995 in Hà Nội. Five years later, his wife also died. Obeying his wishes when he was alive, his family and friends brought his remains and those of his wife to be buried at his birthplace in Hương Thủy Town.

In 2007, Phùng Quán was granted the National Award for Literature and the Arts by the State of Việt Nam. — VNS