HÀ NỘI — Three Vietnamese writers – Nguyễn Thế Quang, Lê Minh Khuê and Trần Hùng – have received the Southeast Asian Write Award in Bangkok.

The three Vietnamese writers were among a total of 27 winners of the SEA Write Award from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the past three years of 2016; 2017 and 2018.

They were present at the award ceremony held on Monday at the Royal Ballroom at the Mandarin Oriental.

The ceremony was held to honour Southeast Asian writers – past, present and future.

Khuê won the 2018 award for her short stories entitled Làn Gió Chảy Qua (Wind Breezes Through). The stories also earned her the third Việt Nam Writers Association Award in 2016 after receiving the award in 1987 and in 2000.

Hùng’s poetry collection Vườn Khuya (Night Garden) and Quang’s historic novel Thông Reo Ngàn Hống (Pine Tree in Ngàn Hống) were the winners in 2017 and 2016.

Quang’s novel is about historical figure Nguyễn Công Trứ who was a politician, military officer and poet in the 19th century.

Both of them were Việt Nam Writers Association Award winners in 2015.

The SEA Write Award has been presented annually to poets and writers in Southeast Asia.

The ceremony was put on hold for the past three years due to the passing of the late King Bhumibol Adulayadej.

It was restored after the subsequent coronation of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn in May this year.

Her Royal Highness Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana Rajakanya of Thailand will be presiding over the ceremony, which will be held at the Royal Ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok at 7pm.

She will bestow the winners with commemorative plaques. In addition, they will take part in literary talk activities at the Bangkok Bank Public Company and Chulalongkorn University.

The SEA. Write Award was established in 1979 to recognise and honour literary excellence in the ASEAN region.

Based in Bangkok, the awards have been presented annually since 1979 to leading poets and writers in the 10 ASEAN countries which will choose their own winners.

The last Vietnamese winners were veteran Trần Mai Hạnh; Tố Hữu; Ma Văn Kháng and Hữu Thỉnh. — VNS