Writers at a recent event organized by the Vietnam Writers’ Association said that children’s literature is "a forgotten land". Many questions were raised: How can we wake up children’s literature? Which materials should writers use to compose if ChatGPT and AI are available and can be used easily? Why is Vietnam’s children’s literature less competitive than foreign literature? What are the problems behind this – the weak capability of writers or the lack of topics or creativity?

The list of recent bestsellers of the Kim Dong Publishing House includes titles for children – Ca linh di hoc (Linh fish goes to school) by Le Quang Trang, 100 cua so (100 windows) by Phat Duong, and Nhung chuyen tau di (The outgoing trains) by Nguyen Huong.

The newest books and books published long ago all show that materials for children's literary creations are very diverse, from the Mekong Delta waterways to the sandy central region and the northern delta region, to stories about childhood to personal experiences, and to fantasy and fiction genres.

Writers say that all topics and materials can attract children. However, it is not easy to create original and attractive works for children.

Mai Buu Minh, the author of 13 books for children, told VietNamNet there are obstacles in becoming a writer for children. He said most of the stories about children from the past to now are like fairy tales, so they are unattractive to children. However, he admitted that his real-life experience and his understanding about children is limited, and he has used up all his experience in his literary works.

“Older men nowadays find it difficult to become friends with children. Children of modern times can use smartphones, can play online games, give gifts to girlfriends, send videos, and remember facts and figures about celebrities,” he said.

“Meanwhile, in our times, children in the countryside had naked baths under the rain, played folk games in the fields, caught fish in canals, and trapped birds in the rice fields. I face difficulties when writing stories for children now,” he said.

What to write?

Kim Hoa, the author of Vuong quoc ngo nghinh (Funny Kingdom), Con chim phung cuoi cung (The last phoenix), and Cua so phia dong (The eastern window) said it is not difficult to write stories because there are many children around her and she takes notes about what she sees every day. 

“The problem does not lie in limited topics, but in the fact that many authors still cannot find the field in which they have advantages to exploit. Every writer has his or her  strength and ‘domain’, where they can find the most quintessential things to promote and create products that bear their personal hallmark,” she said.

Hoa said that difficulties don’t lie in seeking ideas, but in creating a youthful tone that helps to convey messages to children, and providing stories that are topical and accessible to children.

Phat Duong, whose ‘100 cua so’ was his first work for children, has many questions about the state of children’s literature.  “Many people say works written under the form of adventure and fantasy will not be attractive to children because they are not close to current life. But why can the Harry Potter books about sorcerers, which don't exist, still attract different generations of Vietnamese?”

According to Duong, the most difficult thing when writing for children is not choosing a topic, but choosing a message and a way to convey the message through the work.

“When writing ‘100 cua so’ about the pandemic, I had to think carefully about the Covid-19,” Duong said.

Tinh Le