SPEECH OF SWEDISH AMBASSADOR PERERIC HÖGBERG AT THE LAUNCH OF MAI VĂN PHẤN’S LATEST POEM COLLECTION: LẶNG YÊN CHO NƯỚC CHẢY
SPEECH OF SWEDISH
AMBASSADOR PERERIC HÖGBERG
AT THE LAUNCH OF MAI
VĂN PHẤN’S LATEST POEM COLLECTION: LẶNG YÊN CHO NƯỚC CHẢY

Ngài Pereric Högberg, Đại sứ đặc mệnh toàn quyền Vương quốc Thụy Điển tại VN
Hà Nội 5 June 2018
Pleased
to be here today at L’ Espace at the launch of Mai Văn Phấn’s latest poem
collection entitled LẶNG YÊN CHO NƯỚC CHẢY ("Be Quiet for Water Flowing”).
With his
talent and creativity, Mr Mai Văn Phấn has proved how poetry can give us
greater understanding of the life and culture of others. Through poetry, the
voice of one person can tell the story of many. His poetry has been translated
into 24 languages including Swedish. This provides people in Sweden with better
understanding of people, nature and everyday life in Vietnam. As an example,
2009 Mr Mai Văn Phấns poetry was translated and published as a part of the
anthology “Till: igår – tolv vietnamesiska poeter. A bigger selection of his
poems were translated and published in Sweden through the book “Höstens
Hastighet”.
I’m
extremely happy that Mr Mai Văn Phấn is the 2017 winner of the Swedish Cikada
Award. He is the second Vietnamese poet to be honoured for such a distinguished
award after Mrs. Hoàng Thị Ý Nhi.
If you
have not heard about the Cikada, as an award, it was founded in 2004, in
connection with the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Swedish Nobel Prize
laureate in literature Mr. Harry Martinson. The Cikada Prize is given to an
East Asian poet as a recognition of the great inspiration Harry Martinson found
for his own poetry in East Asian literature and the purpose is also to bring
greater, international attention to the rich poetry and poets from East Asia.
The name of the award was inspired by Martinson’s poetry collection “Cikada”
which was published in 1953.
After
winning the Cikada award, Mai Văn Phấn’s poem was on air for one entire week by
Swedish radio – the biggest media channel in Sweden and received very positive
feedback from our Swedish audience. Numerous articles about Mai Văn Phấn has
come out in different newspapers in Sweden including the Dagens Nyheter- the
largest daily newspaper. I have also learnt that Mai Văn Phấn’s books have been
widely sold on Amazon making him of the best sellers as a poet in recent years
in Vietnam.
Since
the diplomatic relations were established between Sweden and Vietnam almost 50
years ago, we have seen a continuous exchange of culture between our two
countries. Literature and poetry have played an important role in this and the
Cikada Award, with both Hoang Thi Y Nhi and Mai Văn Phấn have positively
contributed and deepened the
literature/poetry exchange.
I would
like to express my wholehearted congratulations to Mr. Mai Văn Phấn on his new
collection. I know that he’ll make a
visit to Sweden in the fall at the invitation of Sweden’s friendship
association with Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. I wish him a pleasant time in
Sweden and all the best for his future career.
Please enjoy today’s poetry reading!
Xin cảm
ơn!

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