HCM City's last bookbinder keeps craft alive

Twenty to 25 years ago, when the internet was not as well developed as it is now in Việt Nam, a bookbinder was still a famous high-paying job.

In The Self-told (Tự kể), published by Trẻ Publishing House, novelist Hồ Anh Thái recalls his childhood during the war and its aftermath, in the subsidy time with hardship which people had to try much to overcome. The following is an excerpt from the autobiography.  

Proactive, humorous and intelligent from a young age – that is how friends, family and teachers describe Nguyễn Khánh Linh, a former student of physics at Lam Sơn High School for the Gifted in the central province of Thanh Hóa.

Since Việt Nam became a republic in 1945, many craft villages have moved away from their traditional sources of income. One start-up business is trying to update and maintain the 300-year-old craft of embroidery to meet contemporary needs.

Bookworm – “the best little book cafe in Southeast Asia” will celebrate its 17-year presence in Hà Nội with a celebration on Sunday, November 4. 

American poet loves VN folk songs

John Balaban’s warm smile, friendly manner, sincerity and especially his profound knowledge of Vietnamese folk songs and literature has made him a close friend to many Vietnamese scholars.

 On Sunday, Bookworm bookstore together with the Hanoi Cooking Centre will put on an afternoon of jazz music, traditional bánh chưng (sticky rice cake) making and tò he (toy figurine) sculpting as part of their annual celebrations in the run-up to Tết.

As the shelves and storeroom at Bookworm are overflowing, the book cafe will host a huge Christmas book sale on Sunday.

Vũ Thị Phương Anh, 16, is expected to be Việt Nam’s new swimming star. Thanh Hà reports

Vietnamese children now can add to their book collections with the recent release of three renowned Japanese picture books, or Ehon books, in Việt Nam.