Edgar Doerig, IOF's Regional Representative for Asia-Pacific and Deputy General Director of the Vietnam News Agency Đoàn Thị Tuyết Nhung, present the first prize to Nguyễn Đức Minh Hoàng (centre). — VNS Photo Lê Việt Dũng

HÀ NỘI — The awards ceremony of the eighth "Young Francophone Reporters Competition" took place on Friday November 17 in recognition of 14 prize winners.

Hosted by the only French-language newspaper in Việt Nam, Le Courrier du Vietnam, this annual event serves as a platform for young talents to showcase their passion for the French language and express their interest in the rich cultural tapestry of the Francophone world.

Nguyễn Hồng Nga, editor-in-chief of Le Courrier du Vietnam, said: "With this year's theme of 'Francophone and a shared culture', the competition aims to promote the cultural diversity and positive values within the French-speaking community, a goal pursued by the International Organisaion of the Francophonie (IOF)."

Đoàn Thị Tuyết Nhung, deputy general director of Vietnam News Agency, added: "Writers come from all parts of the country and a variety of educational backgrounds. Some are high school students whereas others are undergraduates."

Pierre Du Ville, head of the Wallonia-Brussels Delegation in Việt Nam, said he was impressed with the accuracy of the writers.

He said: "The use of the French language is impeccable. I appreciated their rigor on spelling, which often remains the Achilles heel of many Francophone speakers."

Edgar Doerig, IOF's regional representative for Asia-Pacific, added: "Here, you will find a collection of the top 20 articles from the competition.

"I greatly appreciated their originality, and I take this opportunity to congratulate all the writers and the teachers who have instilled in them the passion for the French language." 

A total of 174 writers participated in the competition with 118 articles, of which 20 made it to the final round.

Among the 14 prize winners, the first prize went to Nguyễn Đức Minh Hoàng, the author of "The Fairy of Huế: A Heart that Beats for Culture and Humanity in Distress". — VNS