At total of 27 prizes have been given to winners of the National Book Awards 2020 including three first prizes, 10 seconds, and 14 thirds. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Doan Binh Tay Tien (Advancing WestwardRegiment) by poet Quang Dung was among three books that have won first prizesat the National Book Awards 2020.
Doan Binh Tay Tien was written in 1952and published for the first time by Kim Dong PublishingHouse in 2019. It has just 124 pages but provides a detailed accountof the early days of the establishment of a regiment of the VietnamPeople's Army called Tay Tien during its westward advance in theresistance war against the French.
The jury lauded the book forits authentic literary and historical education values.
The two other books that wonfirst prizes were Lich su (Histories) by the ancient Greek historianHerodotus, translated from English by Le Dinh Chi, and another aboutmedical treatment titled Hinh anh lam sang,Chan doan va Dieu tri trong Chuyen nganh Da lieu (Clinical Image,Diagnosis and Treatment in Dermatology) by different authors led byDr Nguyen Van Thuong.
Second prizes went come to10 works featuring issues of different areas including politics, environment,information technology and culture.
Luoc Khao Van Hoc (Literature Review) - a series ofresearch about the pre-1975 southern culture by Professor Nguyen Van Trungwas recognised as very valuable work among the second prize winners.
Deputy Minister of Informationand Communications and Chairman of the Vietnam Publishers'Association Hoang Vinh Bao said the research book with its remarkableliterary and historical value had made a great contribution to helpingresearchers and literature-lovers understand more about progressiveliterature in the period before 1975 when the country was not united.
The awards were announcedat a ceremony held on Friday night at the headquarters of Vietnam'snational radio station Voice of Vietnam.
Speaking at theawarding ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said the National BookAwards were expected to contribute to promoting reading culture.
He said that books are the"greatest schools" of society.
"If Vietnam wants tobecome a powerful country like many others from the five continents, we shouldhave a society of study and reading books," he said.
The Deputy PM highlighted therole of books in humanity’s great advances and lauded the development ofreading culture in the country.
He stated that the awards havemotivated writers, editors, publishers, and printing and distribution companiesto keep creating good books.
This year, the COVID-19pandemic, the third National Book Awards attracted theparticipation of 48 publishing houses nationwide with 259 titles, coveringmany areas of social development.
A total of 27 awards were givento winning books including three first prizes, 10 seconds, and 14 thirds.
The annual National Book Awardswere hosted by the Ministry of Information and Communicationsand organised by the Vietnam Publishers’ Association and the National BookPrize Council.
The awards aim to honourwriters, translators, scientists and publishers nationwide as well as discover,preserve and promote books that are valuable to readers.
They are also expected tostimulate the publishing field.
The awards are presentedin different fields such as politics, economics, environment,healthcare, science and technology, culture, literature, artsand children.
Organisers said the awardsattracted the involvement of society, receiving much support from enterprisesand sponsors and were broadcast widely via various media outlets./.
VNA
