Marc Lavoine and his partner. — Photo leparisien.fr

HÀ NỘI — In a highly private ceremony in the Paris V arrondissement on Saturday July 25, author of Hello Vietnam tied the knot with his partner for a few years, Line Papin, novelist of three published books who was born in Hà Nội in 1995 to a Vietnamese mother and French father. 

The ceremony at the notary's office was followed by a private party of only 20, according to an insider, who was one of the invitees.

Marc Lavoine, 57, wrote the song Hello Vietnam, and it became an instant success, which has been sung by Vietnamese overseas singers as well as singers who live in Việt Nam. Loved by millions of Vietnamese worldwide, the song has bridged the gap for those young people, whose parents were Vietnamese and had no connection with their parents' home country. 

Line Papin, 24, published her first novel, L'eveil, (Awakening) when she was 20. The book has been translated into Vietnamese and published by Trẻ Publishers. Born and raised in Hà Nội until she was 10, she moved with her family to live in France. Her adaptation to her new life was quite rough, which sent her through five different schools. 

L'eveil was about the lives of four young people who met in Hà Nội and each got awakened in their own way due to their life in a foreign city. Two of her other books Toni (2018) was about siblings bonds in the nights of Berlin, and Les Os des filles (2019) was an autobiography about sisters during the War in Việt Nam: three generations of women through war, exile and illness.  

Her parents helped launch her writing career quite early, when at 16, she presented her works to professional writers and received solid consultation. Her father, Philippe Papin, is a noted French writer and researcher on Vietnamese history.

Paparazzi were present outside of their Paris apartment and the notary office. No one could take a photo during the wedding as the rights were sold to a French magazine, according to the source. — VNS