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One of the writing skills I am asked about the most is, “How do I get emotion on the page?” People ask this no matter what genre they are writing, because no one wants to produce a manuscript that is flat and unengaging. Emotion is the key, but figuring out how to inspire your reader to feel something is a tricky thing to learn and an even trickier thing to master.In her debut novel, Slanting Towards the Sea (Simon & Schuster, July 2025), Lidija Hilje has mastered it. The story feels so raw and so real—and English is not even Lidija's first language! It's a remarkable achievement. I'm excited to speak with Lidija about her path to publication and how she figured out how to get the emotion of her characters onto the page.Links from the Pod:Article from Jane FriedmanGuide on Literary Fiction from LidijaLidija's website: www.lidijahilje.comAuthor Accelerator book coaches Barbara Boyd and Nita CollinsHey everyone, it's Jenny Nash. This episode happens to feature an Author Accelerator book coach. Author Accelerator is the company I founded more than 10 years ago to lead the emerging book coaching industry. If you've been curious about what it takes to become a successful book coach, which is to say, someone who makes money, meaning, and joy out of serving writers, I've just created a bunch of great content to help you learn more. You can access it all by going to bookcoaches.com/waitlist. We'll be enrolling a new cohort of students in our certification program in October, so now's a perfect time to learn more and start making plans for a whole new career.Transcript below!EPISODE 456 - TRANSCRIPTJennie NashHey everyone, it's Jennie Nash. This episode happens to feature an Author Accelerator book coach. Author Accelerator is the company I founded more than 10 years ago to lead the emerging book coaching industry. If you've been curious about what it takes to become a successful book coach—which is to say, someone who makes money, meaning, and joy out of serving writers—I've just created a bunch of great content to help you learn more. You can access it all by going to bookcoaches.com/waitlist. That's bookcoaches.com/waitlist. We'll be enrolling a new cohort of students in our certification program in October, so now's a perfect time to learn more and start making plans for a whole new career.Multiple Speakers:Is it recording? Now it's recording, yay. Go ahead. This is the part where I stare blankly at the microphone. I don't remember what I'm supposed to be doing. Alright, let's start over. Awkward pause. I'm going to rustle some papers. Okay, now one, two, three.Jennie NashHey writers, I'm Jennie Nash, and this is the Hashtag AmWriting podcast, the place where we talk about writing all the things; short things, long things, fiction, nonfiction, pitches, and proposals. Today I'm talking with Lidija Hilje, the author of the novel Slanting Towards the Sea. And what we're talking about is how to capture emotion on the page—the most elusive thing in the entire writing universe. Lidija lives in Croatia. She's a former lawyer who I know because she became a book coach through Author Accelerator. This is her first novel, and it's something else. As a longtime book coach, it's really hard for me to read for pleasure anymore, because it's so hard not to see the writer at work and the seams of the creation. But Slanting Towards the Sea—I saw none of that. I fell wholly into the story and became lost in it; the olive trees and the sea, the pain of these people and this love triangle, and also just the love that they had for life and each other. It's almost unbearably raw—the way life itself can feel sometimes. And yet, since I know Lidija and her story to becoming a writer, I also know how much work it took to create this feeling and emotion. I'm so excited to speak with Lidija today, and so excited for people to hear about her and her story. So welcome, Lidija. Thanks for coming onto the podcast.Lidija HiljeThank you so much for having me and for this incredible introduction. I'm so honored.Jennie NashWell, before we get started, I want to read the jacket copy for Slanting Towards the Sea, so that our listeners can hear the bones of the story that you wrote. Is that okay if I read it for our listeners?Lidija HiljeAbsolutely. Thank you so much.Jennie NashOkay.Ivona divorced the love of her life, Vlaho, a decade ago. They met as students at the turn of the millennium, when newly democratic Croatia was alive with hope and promise. But the challenges of living in a burgeoning country extinguished Ivona's dreams one after another—and a devastating secret forced her to set him free. Now Vlaho is remarried and a proud father of two, while Ivona's life has taken a downward turn. In her thirties, she has returned to her childhood home to care for her ailing father. Bewildered by life's disappointments, she finds solace in reconnecting with Vlaho and is welcomed into his family by his spirited wife, Marina. But when a new man enters Ivona's life, the carefully cultivated dynamic between the three is disrupted, forcing a reckoning for all involved. Set against the mesmerizing Croatian coastline, Slanting Towards the Sea is a cinematic, emotionally searing debut about the fragile nature of potential and the transcendence of love.That's it! What a—what a—what a summary, right? So I want to start by talking about the genre of this book, Lidija. As a book coach, you specialize in helping people write literary fiction. And you're extremely articulate about defining exactly what it is. And I'd like to just start there, by talking about how you see this novel, where it's positioned and, um, and your sense of it in, as a—in the genre, um, categories, if you will. Um, and I'll share with our listeners before you answer that English is not your first language—which is something we're going to talk about from a writing perspective, but just from a listening perspective, to give people some context for that. So let's talk about—let's talk about genre.Lidija HiljeYeah, well, genre is one of my favorite topics as a book coach, and so naturally it is something I love talking about. So the first book I ever wrote, which is now safely shelved in a drawer at the bottom of a drawer, was women's fiction. And the reason why it was women's fiction was that because I was learning how to write, I was learning how to weave a story together. And in doing so, I was trying to find some commonalities in stories—like how stories work, how you develop them, how you develop a character arc, how you wrap it up towards the end. And—but my intention always was to write literary. I was just not very good at doing it. And so I kind of—like all the feedback that I got throughout my—from developmental editors—it was like geared towards kind of channeling the book towards women's fiction. And this is something that really still strikes me as a book coach: how different it is to coach literary fiction as opposed to genre fiction, which is more formulaic. So basically, that first book is safely shelved. And when I started writing this book, I was working really hard at trying to make it not be formulaic. And actually, one of the book coaches from our community helped me. I had a conversation with Barbara Boyd where I outlined my story for her, and she said there was this moment where I kind of did something in my outline…what could basically be called a cop-out—so that… I killed a character, basically, so that the…you know, that the book would close neatly, right? And so she called me out on it and said—because I talked to her specifically because she coaches literary fiction but didn't like or coach women's fiction—and I thought that perspective was something I needed. And so she said, "Why are you killing that character?” And that was the wake-up moment for me, because that was the moment when I realized that in doing so, that was the typical moment where a writer kind of goes toward the genre. And where the interesting thing in the literary fiction genre lies is exploring, you know, what happens when you don't kill the character—when you don't take the easy way out. And so, genre-wise, what I, you know—I run a book club for writers, and we read a lot of literary fiction. And so, I was constantly trying to figure out, like, what is it about these books that, you know, define genre? And in studying these books, there are several things, and I could talk about this, I guess, for centuries, but I'll try to...Jennie NashI—I love it. Let's do it.Lidija HiljeSo basically, in literary fiction, there are many things that genre fiction also has. There are themes, there are character arcs—you know, a character might grow, though not necessarily. But basically, it's much less clear than in genre fiction. In genre fiction, for instance, you have—especially in women's fiction—you will have a woman who is shy and then she becomes confident toward the end. Or you have a horrible, you know, self-obsessed character who learns their lesson toward the end of the book. It's really clear-cut. The reader can latch on to what the problem is without thinking too much about it. And literary fiction does the opposite. It fans out a little bit. It touches on many different things that kind of seem unrelated, but they are related. And this is a problem in writing it, as well as coaching it, because as a coach or as a writer, you have to be aware of all these things. You have to beware of how these things tie together so that you have the idea of this through line that goes throughout the story, whereas the reader might not be catching on as fast but does have the confidence that you, as the writer, are going to get them there, if that makes sense.Jennie NashOh, it makes so much sense. So when you were working on—I actually remember reading some opening, maybe the opening chapters of the novel that has been shelved. When I read those pages, they struck me as if they had that feeling of literary fiction. Was that your intention with that novel as well?Lidija HiljeYes, it was. It was just that I was unable to... I came to writing late. I mean, I was always a writer in the sense that I was always writing something, but I came to writing fiction and specifically books very late. It was 2017 when I started writing that book in Croatian. And the first, you know, contact with any craft or writing happened in 2019 when I finished the draft and I translated that book into English, and I started looking for ways of pub... you know, publishing that book and realized that the first draft is not the last draft. Like that was the—like it was—sometimes it's so funny to think like how recently I didn't know anything about publishing or writing at all. So basically, I did want that book to be literary fiction. I always wanted to do, you know, to write the type of fiction that I wrote in Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea], and obviously I hope to, you know, hone my craft in the future, but it wasn't—it wasn't on that level. And the first developmental editor that I worked with in 2019, she was giving me all the logical advice that you can give someone, which is... hone the character arc you are telling here, show, you know, all those things that we tell our clients when we work with them as book coaches. But what it did is it completely stripped the literary part from it, and it made me write in scene, which is not how literary fiction is written. You know, like, one of the differences between commercial fiction and literary fiction is that you don't necessarily write in scenes. You write in summaries, and you write in postcards, which is the type of a scene that goes deeper instead of forward, if that makes sense. So you're not kind of—nothing changes for the protagonist, the protagonist doesn't realize anything, they don't decide on a new course of action, nothing new happens, but the reader's understanding of the character happens. And this is also true when you're looking at the character arc on the, you know, scope of the whole novel. Like in literary fiction, it will often be that, you know, that the character doesn't change much in terms of, like what I said before—she was shy and she stopped being shy, right? It will just be that the reader's understanding of the character deepens. And so my first book was an attempt at literary fiction, but it was not an execution. You know, the execution didn't really match that, and I feel like the advice that I got from my early developmental editor was just kind of trying to put me in the confines of commercial fiction. Which is... you know... understandable. You know, and I'm great— I'm even, like, today—I'm grateful for it because you first have to learn how to walk and then you can run, right? So I did have to go through the process of learning how to write a good scene, of learning how not to tell, of learning how to hide the seams that you—that you were talking about—you need to hide your fingerprints as a writer. And that was my learning book. I learned a lot from writing it, but by the time I was done with it, it was not—it didn't—it was not a bad book, and I got a lot of full requests for it, but it was not—it did not end up being what I had hoped for it.Jennie NashSo, in 2017, when you started that book, you said you came to writing late. Do you mind sharing where you were in your life, if you want to share your age or what you were doing in your life, just to give us some context for what you mean by that—by coming to it late?Lidija HiljeSo yeah, so 2017 was one of the hardest years in my life, I think. I think it's just the moment where I was around 35, I think. I would have to do the math, but mid-30s. And I had just been fired for the second time after my second maternity leave. And, you know jobs in my profession, which is—I was an attorney—were scarce, and I opened my own law firm. And I sat there in my law office, you know, a woman working as an attorney in Zadar, Croatia. It was not, you know, I was not having like flocks of clients, you know, going through the door. And you had to sit there from 8am to 4pm, which is our work time. And I had, um, ii had um... I started writing basically to pass the time. And I was writing just the scenes that I was interested in that, you know, brought me joy and then I, you know, wrote the intermittent scene, and the book grew and grew. And by the time I had finished it, which was a year and a half later, you know, it became... It just became a thing that I was—it took over it took over my whole life. I could not, you know and financially it was a difficult time for us as well. We had reached—my husband and I, like I said mid 30's—and we had kind of peaked career wise here in Croatia. So basically, what people don't understand about Croatia is that even if you're a brain surgeon, or if you're a lawyer, or if you're a programmer—like my husband—the money you make is not much more than the average wage. And so, you know, we were at the top of our game professionally, but not earning enough to make ends meet. And so we had started thinking about moving to Ireland basically, which is the, you know, IT hub for the... in Europe. And in thinking about it, I was sitting in my law office and I was basically crying my eyes out thinking if I go there, I'm going to be stripped of my identity as an attorney. I had been working toward that for basically 15, 20 years. And in trying to get over that pain of working towards something that in Ireland, it's not going to mean anything because, you know, the legal system is so very different and my use of language was not, you know, it's still not really good. Like professional English is not the same as this spoken English, you know, everyday English. And so, in kind of trying to accept that we are going to move and I'm going to be stripped of that identity as a lawyer, I was, in a way, you know, to make it easier for myself, I started accepting all the things that I didn't want to look at, which is I hated my job.Jennie NashRight, right.Lidija HiljeI loved being in a courtroom, like that was a good part of it. But everything else, you know, the intellectual part of it, like thinking about law, applying law to a certain case was interesting to me. But everything else was horrible. And so, once I accepted that, and my husband got a job, you know, like working for... as a freelancer for an outside company, and we could stay in Croatia, I was like, "And what am I going to do now? I can't go back to being a lawyer." And so, because his wage was a little bit more than, you know, for the first time, he could afford for me to go, you know, to take a year off and to see what I could do. And so, for a while, I interned at a foreign literary agency—that didn't go anywhere. Then I wrote, you know, a copy for a startup that didn't end up, you know, paying me. So that was kind of like—I was at the end of my rope by the, you know, toward the end of that year. And then I encountered the Author Accelerator program for book coaches, and I had during that year I had connected with writers and I have realized that basically the legal knowledge really translates beautifully into book coaching. So it was kind of like, you know, working on a story, or if you're working on a case, or working on a book, it's kind of a similar thing, similar logic applies. And so it was a… you—you know, it was, I know I'm mixing a little bit the books coaching and legal and, you know, writing careers...Jennie NashNo, it's fascinating.Lidija HiljeBut they are so intertwined in my life, yeah.Jennie NashI mean, it's fascinating the way that you trained yourself on story, basically. And I remember the conversation when you approached Author Accelerator, because you were nervous about being able to meet the requirements of our program because of your language—that English is not your first language. But I, I mean, we have a system whereby it's you try it, you know, if—if you'd meet the requirements, you meet them and if you don't, you don't. And it struck me that your grasp of story was so profound. That I didn't know... you know, it was one conversation about your grasp of the written language. But, um, you were... you were very nervous about your ability to do the work of book coaching in another language. And it's just interesting from where we sit now, so I want to circle back to the book itself and the novel and what you accomplished in it, because it really does have the thing that so many writers are always trying to do, and they talk about it—it is so elusive. Which is this capturing this feeling, emotion, letting the reader sit in the mirror of what those characters are feeling, and you feel it your own self, and that it, you know, when it, when it works, it's, it's like a magic trick. And it strikes me that you came at that very deliberately. It was not accidental. Is that fair to say? Would you believe that?Lidija HiljeI think I always wanted to write about... I always wanted to write quiet stories. And for quiet stories to work, you have to make the quiet things loud in a way. And the loud things are the emotions. And so yes, yes, it was always my goal. I was not always good at it... in writing emotion. But yeah, like during that process of writing that first book, I struggled with it a lot. I struggled with what I guess happens a lot of the time when we are writing is that we're trying very hard for the reader to see things the way we are seeing them. And this counter-intuitively causes the very reverse effect. You know the reader—is the more you're trying to make them listen to you, the more you're trying to, you know, impose your view of things on them, the more they resist. So the trick is basically, and I'll make it sound very easy, it's not easy at all to execute, but the trick is to kind of, you know, to try to find a way and to deliver that emotion without judgment. Like, this is what I'm feeling, or this is what my character is feeling. And not trying to explain it, not trying to get compassion, not trying to get the reader to feel anything. Like, you're just putting things out in the ether, and you're allowing the reader to do their own math. And this is something you can do in literary fiction, which is more open-ended, right? And the readers of genre fiction, I do need more hand-holding in that sense that they will not maybe work as hard as the literary reader. So yeah, I did work very hard. And, you know, the first book, the “shelved” book, really got to a point where I couldn't do that work anymore. But when I started Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea]… the literally... the first scene in Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea], came out the way it did. Like that's…Jennie NashOh wow!Lidija HiljeIt didn't change. We had this meeting of writing friends and one of them said, let's exchange, like, let's read 500 new words and I was not working on anything. I had been focusing on book coaching at that moment—that was 2021. And I went to the moment in that room when she is thinking about her ex-husband, you know, when the protagonist is thinking about her ex-husband, and it just came out the way it is. I don't think I changed basically more than three words since that scene came out the way it is. And so...Jennie NashOh, that's amazing. I want to... I want to read some of the lines from that opening scene, if I can, to give the readers... I mean the listeners a sense of what we're talking about. So here's how Slanting Towards the Sea begins.I open his socials and sift through his photos. I know their sequence like I know the palm of my hand. Better even, because I can never memorize what my palm looks like, how the life line twirls into the love line, how it begins tight and uniform, but then turns ropey. It scares me to look at it, to trace the lines, to see where they might lead me in years to come. But I know Vlaho's photos by heart.And it goes on from there. It's, it's just, it's so haunting. And, and the whole, the whole novel is, is that, has that feel to it. So when did you, when did you know that with this story you had it? You knew with the other one that you couldn't get it back, or that it wasn't going to happen. When did you begin? Was it after the sharing of that scene where you thought, oh, I've got this?Lidija HiljeI knew that I could write a scene, but there's a difference, you know, a postcard. I would call this a postcard. This is the typical example of a postcard, a scene where nothing changes for the protagonist and she doesn't understand anything new, but it kind of deepens the reader's understanding of, you know, her situation. So I knew I could write it, which is something I struggled with, with the first book, but I—there's a long road from doing one good postcard and then, you know, writing an entire book, which in literary fiction you have this additional, you know, challenge. You do a ratio basically of normal scenes and summaries, and postcards, and you have to maintain that ratio throughout the book. So, um, yeah for the... relatively early in the book I had submitted that first scene for some competitions. And I got great feedback. It won a critique match, writing a competition in the literary fiction category. And it was long listed in the BPA Pitch Prize in the UK. So I knew that... you know... you know... that the opening of the book was working. So that was good. But from then on, it was such a struggle, because you read the book, and so you know, it has dual timelines; it spans 20 years. I was struggling so bad trying to figure out whether I should do, you know, the past in flashbacks? Whether I should alternate timelines? How do I set this massive story up, which has, you know, the past, and, you know, the present, which happens over a span of... I don't know... five or six months in the present timeline. So I struggled with it a lot. But the thing that I struggled with the most was accountability. So basically, for the first year and a half—for the first year—I wrote, I think, maybe 150 pages. They were not very well set up. I was unsure of them, and I would always push the book backwards to work on client stories. And so what really changed the game for me was when I—I have this program that I run in summertime and one of our book coaches was in that program, Nita Collins. And after the program ended, we partnered up. And so she was my accountability—you know partner, as well as…you know, feedback giver and cheerleader and all the things. And so, you know, I still struggled with how to set up all the things and how to build up the narrative, which I think is really hard for people to coach literary fiction, because you can basically only offer solutions that are kind of geared towards tropey, right? So the author really does have to do all the work, in that sense, but she was absolutely instrumental in terms of me getting the pages down and just seeing if the pages hit the mark or didn't, why they didn't, you know, talking to her, just voicing, talking about the book. And so this went on for a year and within one year I had a full first draft and from then on it was a quick revising process and within three months I had three agent offers. So it was a fast process from then on, from having the first draft, to getting an agent.Jennie NashWell, big shout out to Nita Collins and the Author Accelerator community. I love that a connection happened for you guys. It's really beautiful the way you describe it. So can you explain why you decided it was time to go out to agents? With the first book you decided... this is not going to go anywhere. I'm putting it aside. And with this one, very soon after you finished the first draft, you decided to pitch. What was that decision-making process like for you?Lidija HiljeSo I want to be completely honest. I didn't shelve the first project because I thought it was not, I could not get it to a level. I was convinced that it was on a level, and I had pitched it, but I had been rejected over 100 times. So basically the industry decided for me that it wasn't going to happen. And one of the things that was really hard for me in that first book is that I set it in the US, which I've never been to the US. So it made it very difficult, but I felt like if I set the book in Croatia, I would, like the cultural perspective would overpower the quiet narrative. And I thought that I couldn't do it. And so I, you know, in Slanting [Slanting Towards the Sea], this is the base of the book. Like, it's, you know, I've found a way to weave the cultural perspective as seamlessly as I could. But the pitching process—I basically... I had the first draft done when I had decided to pitch the book. It was a little bit—to be honest, I was a little bit hasty. I had applied for The Muse & the Marketplace conversation with agents. You could...Jennie NashLike the speed dating.Lidija HiljeYeah, like the speed dating. And so I purchased a few tickets for that. And this was done for two reasons. The first one was to, you know; give myself a goal to work towards—to kind of make it all go faster. And the second goal was to see how the industry looks at this. And if there are any issues that they have with the, you know, with the book or with how it's set up, I would rather know sooner than later. And so, because they were reading not just the pages—they were reading, like, 10 pages, a synopsis, and a query letter—which I would also wholeheartedly recommend writing during the writing phase. Preferably, you know, toward the end of the first draft, you would have to do the pitching materials, because they inform so much of... they make you really focus on what the book is about and kind of drawing out the themes and the plot and kind of parsing all those things out. So I told myself: if I go there, and if I get some, you know the best thing that could happen is I could get some full requests. The worst thing that could happen was they will tell me that I'm not there, that my writing is not there, and that the and/or that the book doesn't hold together. And so what happened is, I was... I had just finished my first draft, but I knew that the ending wasn't right. I had the wrong ending. So I knew I had to rewrite the last third of the book, at least. And I went on to that conference, and out of five agents I had talked to, four had requested a full manuscript—toward, like, when I had it. So it was a huge, you know, confidence builder, and that summer I really, really—I can't, it's really amazing what happened—I just, I was so energized, and I just, you know, I don't know, it's like a visit from the muse, even though it's just work. But it felt—I felt very inspired, and I completely rewrote the book, basically, and that gave it the ending that it needed to have, which was also one of the fights against the genre confinements which I had kind of put on myself. So yeah, so that was the decision that I should be doing that, and at the same time, I wanted to be, like, 100% sure that when I sent the manuscript out, it would be finished—that it would be the best that I can make it by myself, you know, and, you know, for Nita to read it, for a couple of beta readers that I've really trusted—and they have the same taste in books that I do—to read it. And only with that feedback was I really ready to send it out to agents.Jennie NashSo—the—we'll get to what happened with the agents in a minute. But I want to return to something that you said about the culture of Croatia and the role that it has in the story, and you called it foundational. And it really feels both the setting of the country, meaning the land, there's... there's a lot you write about, um, the sea, and the food that comes from the sea, and the winds that travel, um, both on the sea and on the land, and there's olive trees that play a large part in this story. So there is a lot about the country itself, and then there's, there is a lot about the, the culture and the, the changing bureaucracies and politics and things that are going on. And it's interesting that you spoke in your own life about contemplating leaving the country, because your characters at some key points, contemplate leaving as well. So there's—there was very much about the constraints of the world of this place, and that's part of what the, you know, it's interesting that you talk about it as your concern was that it would overwhelm the story, but it's part of, for me, what the container in which that emotion happened. It felt not separate from the story, but a really critical component of it. The way these characters lived on the land, and in this place, and what that allowed them to do,—or to be—or not be and how they bumped up against it. It was... It's really like you have a historian's grasp of that, your world, was that something you were conscious of while you were writing as well?Lidija HiljeYes. I was always worried about writing, you know, a Croatian perspective. Like that was always a big concern for me because I, you know, when you're looking at literature and what interests readers, it's either, you know, the book set in the UK and US, which is kind of the clear narrative, it doesn't, it's, it's a pervasive culture that we all understand when it kind of becomes invisible, or, you know, a background noise, it doesn't really affect the narrative. Whereas the other interesting things that readers, when they want to travel somewhere, they will want to go somewhere exotic, you know, whether it's Nigeria or, you know, Eastern Asia, Japan, China, you know? So it felt like Croatia is different, but not different enough, you know? And so it's, it's kind of like almost like it makes the reader constantly forget that they're in Croatia, while at the same time kind of jarring them when you remind them of the differences, and this was one of the, one of the, you know, key points of my work with Nita, was when she would just notice things like, what is, you know, what is the, why are there, there are no dividers in the hospital between the beds? And it's just like... and now I realize that I have to explain how our hospitals look like, and it's not like yours. Or the difference in the tides, which in America are, you know, over, over, I don't know how many feet, and in Croatia they're just, um, and we talked about it when you were here in Zadar as well. So it's just like, it's very similar to America, but not quite. And that was very frustrating at times to try to depict. But on the other hand, in writing Ivona, I wanted to, I feel, I have felt and still feel a lot of frustration with my country. I love it, but I have been planning, like there have been multiple, you know, periods in my life when I had hoped to leave, just because how frustrating it is to live here sometimes with the bureaucracy and just the way the mentality is here and everything. So basically in writing her story, I wanted to air out those grievances in a way. To give them voice, to examine them, to see what they are, and like everything, you know, it's not black or white, it's the way we are here, and it's also the way I am, you know. I notice this when I interact with people from other areas, and they say that us Croats and, you know, Balkan people are very, you know, always like, always complaining about something, which is true, we are. And so, yeah, so it's difficult. It's difficult because I wanted that to be a part of the story. And at the same time, you know, there, you know, there is the possibility of the American reader who doesn't see that it's a part of the culture here, basically. That they could look at Ivona, and say, you know, why does she just not snap out of it?Jennie NashHmm…Lidija HiljeAnd, you know, it's almost like saying to me to snap out of the issues that I had as I was like, trying, you know, like banging my head against the wall, trying to get my career going, and t's not working. Like whatever you're, you're trying—like it's easier for me to make it in the US, never having set a foot there, than in Croatia.Jennie NashRight.Lidija HiljeI mean, my book is being published in the US; it's still not being published in Croatia, just for the record. So it's really hard, and it's really hard to make that a part of the book, but not have it, like, weigh the book all the way down. So it was a process. It's like all the things you try and miss and, you know, sometimes you go overboard, and then you have to pull back, and you have to be careful not to go too deeply into your own experience and just feel that the character is separate from you, and obviously she has some different issues than I had and a different occupation, but a lot of her grievances are mine as well.Jennie NashWell, that yearning and, can… I guess confusion really does come across. The how will I, how will I live? How will I love? How will I spend my days? I mean, these are the questions of our life, and they're the questions of this character in—as she goes through what she's experiencing. That they're, they're both mundane questions and, and, you know, the most profound. And, and the way you capture it... I mean, that was just to circle back to my initial idea of talking about how to capture emotion on the page, you know, which is the work of a novel. That's what it's for. That's its point. And it's just so hard to do. And you just did it on so many levels in a language that's not your first. And it really is just extraordinary and moving. And in preparing to talk to you today, I read a lot of the early reviews—people who got advanced readers copies, 'cause the book comes out in July, 2025, and we're speaking a few months before that time. So it's not fully out in the world, but it's enough that, um, I can see that reaction rippling through the readers and, and certainly through the, um, professional, um, colleagues and, you know, who've blurbed the book. But this idea of it being—the word people kept using was “moving.” And there was a lot of words like “tender” and “haunting,” you know, people really felt what it sounds like you intended them to feel. So how, from where you sit now, how does that—how does it feel to have gotten that feedback from some of the writers you admire? And to know that it did… it works doing what you want it to do? How does that feel?Lidija HiljeOh, it's, it's impossible to talk about that because I guess I'm typically Croatian in the way that it's easier for me to sit in my failures than to sit in my successes. So it's absolutely incredible. I mean, when you get a blurb from Claire Lombardo, who is, you know, I absolutely adore her books and I think she's insanely talented, you know, and for her, you know, she used the words “humane,” and that really—I was so moved by that. So my… kind of my goal is for, for people to see the humanity in these, these characters. And so it's really, it's really amazing. It's, it's beyond, you know, some of the, you know, I got really great blurbs from authors I really, really deeply admire: Thao Thai, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, Amy Lin, and Madeline Lucas, and as well, you know, Claire Lombardo, whom I mentioned. It's really incredible. It's so life affirming for me, you know, to be able to do that. But like I said, it's always, you know, when I'm reading the reviews, which I probably shouldn't be doing, I'm always focusing on the few that are not—just not feeling it. And then I have to remind myself it's not—this is not a book for anyone, for just everyone. And it's, you know, it's a journey. It's still, like you said, early days. I'm learning to be an author, to grow an even thicker skin in that sense. But yeah, it did feel great to get those beautiful reviews. And I'm so grateful to them for reading and donating their time to me.Jennie NashI mean, it's so not fair what I want to say. It's so not fair. But I want to ask anyway. Quite a few of the reviews said they can't wait for your next book, which, you know, it's like you're not a machine. You've just done this one. But are you thinking about that? Are you… do you have thoughts about that?Lidija HiljeYeah, I am trying to work on my new book. But, you know, I'm admiring the writers who put out a book a year. That's definitely not going to be me. There's an insane amount of work in putting the book out. You know, there's invisible work that goes behind the screen, you know, that people don't see, but it's happening and it takes up a lot of time. And there's also this emotional, you know, it's, it's—it's difficult sitting in, like… you're trying to make this your career. You wrote your heart on the paper and you're offering it to the world. And now you're suspended in this period when you put it out and you're waiting to see how it's received, whether someone tramples on it or whether it's upheld. And so it's a difficult, emotionally difficult place to be in, and I'm one of those writers who struggle to create when I'm not, you know, when I'm feeling… when I'm feeling stressed. So work on my second novel is going slowly. I've gotten to page 100, but then I realized it needed, you know, I needed to make some changes, so I'm back to page 30. So it's a, you know, it's a—it's a process. I think, you know, writing literary fiction takes time. It takes self-examination; it takes a lot of reading of other people who have done it successfully—the type of novel that you're trying to execute. So, so yeah, I'm trying to work on it, but, um, but it may, it may be a while.Jennie NashAll right. I know—that's why it wasn't fair to even ask. Um, so back to… I just want to pick up the story back to—you got the three or the four, um, agent requests, and you, you finished the novel, and, um, and you pitched to them. Can you just share what all unfolded? Because… it was pretty extraordinary.Lidija HiljeSo, basically, what happened was I didn't pitch all the four agents that had requested the pages. I had the first querying experience, which is what I said—you know 100 rejections. I took a long, hard look at it and realized that many of the time I was querying the wrong agents, genre-wise, which, you know, I was not aware of at the time. So a lot of those rejections were basically because I was querying a women's fiction book to literary agents. And that was one thing. And the other thing is… I was pretty, you know, unselective with whom I was querying the first time around. And the second time around, I was really intentional with the type of agent and their reputation and the connections within the industry—you know, just much more aware, approaching it much more professionally in terms of, you know, just wanting a good fit that would actually be able to do something for me, you know, to sell the book. And so a friend who had, you know, she had given me a referral to her agent—that didn't pan out. I gave that agent a month, an exclusive. And when that didn't pan out, I basically sent the query to my now agent, Abby Walters, at CAA. And, you know, it was a form on the website. I didn't even write her an email. It was just a form. So I didn't think that anyone would read it, basically. And I got—quickly I got like five or six requests, right out of the gate, those maybe first 10 days. And by the end of the second week I had gotten an offer of representation from Abby. And I followed up with the rest of the agents. The total, uh, the total number of, uh, full requests ended up being, I think, maybe nine out of 20, 25 queries. And, uh, I got three offers of representation, um, from fantastic agents. And, uh, deciding was hell. I was—I was—it was horrible to be in a position where you had to say no to an agent that you admire and that you would genuinely love to work with, but you know, for some reasons I chose Abby and I'm really happy with working with her. She's fantastic. I—I, you know, love her to death. And yeah, so that was the story of getting an agent. It was—it was—it was pretty quick and painless, I have to say, the second time around.Jennie NashRight, from 100 rejections with the first one to—to nine full requests and three offers on—on this one, that's an extraordinary swing, for sure. And I love the—the way that you approached it the second time with that intention. It just says everything about the kind of person and writer you are, and the book landed with Simon & Schuster and will be coming out soon, and I can't wait to share it with our listeners. It's a beautiful, beautiful novel. I just—I cherished reading every page, and we had the really great good fortune of my taking a vacation to Croatia and coming to your town and meeting you and walking through the town with you, and I treasure that for so many reasons. But having read the book, I felt like I could taste it and see it in a really special way, having had a tour of your city with you. So that, for me, was just a special—a special part of it too.Lidija HiljeThank you so much, Jennie. But actually, you kind of were a part of that, because when I thought about the places where Ivona would take a seer to, you know, to see, I had our tour in my—you know, on my mind, because I was thinking, like, what would she show someone who's from another place? Like, where would she take him? And it wouldn't be the things I showed you. I mean, I showed you some of the big things that you have to see when you're here. But I took you to the places that are more intimate to me, like more personally important to me.Jennie NashYeah.Lidija HiljeAnd so this is—this is what's behind the scene where she shows him her school. And, you know, so, yeah… you know, real life.Jennie NashOh, that's amazing. That's amazing. Well, yeah, I did get to see where you went to school and where the law office was. And—and one of the things that's really stayed with me was we went to a bookstore and it… Um, and it—just knowing what your life in books has been, Lidija, and how you've studied them and how you've worked to become a writer of the caliber that you are. And that bookstore was so small, and it had mostly books in Croatian, and it was not anything like the kind of bookstore that one would think would spark a major literary career. And it… that just has stuck with me, because you—you made your own bookstore, right? You found your own literary community. You found your own career and way, and it's just been a joy to watch and to cheer you on. And thank you for coming and talking with us today.Lidija HiljeThank you so much for having me, and all the encouragement over the years. I'm really grateful for that as well.Jennie NashAll right, well, until next time, for our listeners—keep your butt in the chair and your head in the game. Jess LaheyThe Hashtag AmWriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perella. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output, because everyone deserves to be paid for their work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

Với ngòi bút thấm đẫm chất thơ trong từng câu văn, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai đã đưa hai sáng tác đầu tay của mình ra thế giới qua hai cuốn The Mountains Sing và Dust Child, được viết bằng tiếng Anh và được dịch ra hơn 20 thứ tiếng. Lối kể chuyện giản dị nhưng có chiều sâu nhân văn của nữ tác giả người Việt, trong việc khơi dậy ký ức tập thể về chiến tranh Việt Nam đã được đánh giá cao trên văn đàn quốc tế. “Nếu những câu chuyện của chúng ta còn được kể lại, thì ta sẽ không chết dù thân xác có tan biến khỏi mặt đất này.” Đó là những dòng đầu tiên trong cuốn The Mountains Sing (Sơn Ca) của tác giả Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai nhắc nhớ rằng: ký ức là một hình thức tồn tại. Khi những câu chuyện còn được lắng nghe, quá khứ vẫn có thể sống tiếp, chính văn chương, là cây cầu kết nối hai điều đó. Trong hai cuốn tiểu thuyết đầu tay của The Mountains Sing (Sơn Ca) và Dust Child (Bí mật dưới tán cây bồ đề), được viết bằng tiếng Anh, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai trao lại tiếng nói cho những con người từng bị lịch sử bỏ quên: những phụ nữ, nông dân, trẻ em lai, cựu chiến binh. Chị viết về những vết thương mà chiến tranh để lại, nhưng đồng thời cũng viết về những mảng ký ức của những cá nhân, đại diện cho cả tập thể, được truyền lại, viết về sức mạnh của lòng kiên cường và hành trình đi tìm công lý. Về cuốn Sơn Ca, một câu chuyện nhiều lớp nhiều tầng, kể về nhiều thế hệ gia đình nhà họ Trần, Oprah Magazine nhận xét nữ tác giả người Việt, là một « thi sĩ gợi dậy lịch sử và định mệnh qua một thiên truyện lấp lánh ánh sáng, vang vọng qua nhiều thế hệ, nơi một gia đình đối diện với những vết hằn tinh thần còn in đậm sau chiến tranh. » Đọc thêmNhững gương mặt Việt Nam nổi bật trên văn đàn người Mỹ gốc Á Trang Washington Post đưa cuốn The Mountains Sing vào danh sách các tác phẩm không thể bỏ lỡ, vì « mang khí chất của một bậc thầy kể chuyện, trầm tĩnh, chặt chẽ, nhưng vẫn chất chứa hồn thơ, đầy nhạy cảm, tinh tế, và vang vọng ».  The New York Time thì coi đó là « một bản trường ca gia đình ám ảnh, nơi những tiếng nói từng bị lịch sử bỏ quên, đặc biệt là tiếng nói của những người mẹ, người chị, được đặt ở vị trí trung tâm, với tất cả vẻ đẹp mong manh và sức mạnh bền bỉ ».  Cuốn Sơn ca, bản dịch sang tiếng Pháp Pour que les montages chantent vừa đoạt giải Tiểu thuyết hay nhất Do độc giả của NXB Points bình chọn. Ngoài ra, cuốn thứ hai Dust Child - Là où fleurissent les cendres, vế số phận của những đứa con lai tại Việt Nam, cũng đoạt giải Tác phẩm Văn học nước ngoài được đánh giá cao nhất trong 12 tháng qua tại Pháp, trong khuôn khổ giải Créteil en Poche 2025, hội sách diễn ra vào cuối tuần vừa qua tại vùng ngoại ô Paris. Hôm 28/06, RFI Tiếng Việt rất hân hạnh, được trò chuyện với nhà văn, nhà thơ, tiến sĩ Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, để cùng nhìn lại hành trình sáng tác của chị, khám phá những đề tài mà chị đề cập đến, từ góc nhìn của những người nhỏ bé nhất. Trước tiên, điều gì đã thôi thúc chị bắt đầu viết văn, và tại sao chị lại chọn sáng tác cuốn tiểu thuyết đầu tay của mình bằng tiếng Anh chứ không phải tiếng mẹ đẻ?  Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai :Tôi viết hai cuốn tiểu thuyết này trong chương trình thạc sĩ và tiến sĩ của tôi với trường Đại học Lancaster của Anh. Vì là một phần trong nghiên cứu sáng tác, cho nên tôi cũng trực tiếp sáng tác bằng tiếng Anh. Việc này cũng khá khó khăn tại vì tôi sinh ra tại Ninh Bình, nhưng lớn lên ở Bạc Liêu, đồng bằng sông Cửu Long. Trường của tôi ngày xưa không có giáo viên dạy tiếng Anh, nên chỉ vào lớp 8 tôi mới bắt đầu học tiếng Anh. Tôi cũng đã viết tám quyển sách bằng tiếng Việt. Trước đây, tôi cũng đã dịch rất nhiều bài thơ từ tiếng Việt sang tiếng Anh của các nhà thơ khác nhau như Xuân Quỳnh, Lưu Quang Vũ, Nguyễn Trọng Tạo, Trần Quang Quý, Hữu Thỉnh,... Tôi đã từng tìm kiếm một tiểu thuyết để dịch cho đến một ngày tôi nghĩ tại sao mình không tự viết tiểu thuyết. Đó là một hành trình khá điên rồ, khi bắt tay vào sáng tác bằng tiếng Anh và bắt tay vào sáng tác tiểu thuyết Sơn Ca. Tôi nghĩ là đối với một nhà văn thì công việc của mình là đọc và học, thử sức mình ở những lĩnh vực khác nhau. Tôi muốn đưa những câu chuyện của Việt Nam ra với bạn bè thế giới và tôi muốn mời bạn đọc quốc tế đến với Việt Nam thông qua văn học.  Qua hai cuốn sách của chị, độc giả có thể thấy rằng có rất nhiều từ tiếng Việt,  được giữ nguyên, có cả dấu, và không được chú thích. Từ những vật dụng như chiếc phản, đến cây phượng, cây bằng lăng, cho đến các câu ca dao dục ngữ "lá lành đùm lá rách", "còn nước còn tát"... Theo chị, liệu đây có phải là một thách thức, làm sao để trung thành với tiếng mẹ đẻ của mình và làm sao có thể tiếp cận độc giả quốc tế ? Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai :Thực ra, trước khi ra mắt hai quyển sách bằng tiếng Anh này, tôi đã có một tập thơ mà tôi dịch cùng với một cựu chiến binh Mỹ, được xuất bản ở Mỹ. Theo luật xuất bản quốc tế thông thường, tên của mình không có dấu, tức là tên tôi không còn Quế Mai nữa mà thành Que Mai. Sau đó, tôi học chương trình thạc sĩ và tiến sĩ, tôi đọc rất nhiều những bài viết hay những quyển sách của những các nhà văn đi trước và họ nói về việc phản kháng lại sự áp đặt trong văn học và tôi thấy việc mình không dùng dấu tiếng mẹ đẻ của mình để làm cho dễ đọc, dễ nhìn hơn với những người phương Tây, đó là cách mình bị áp đặt. Tức là mình phải thay đổi ngôn ngữ của mình để làm vừa lòng vừa tai của họ. Do đó, tôi nói với nhà xuất bản là tôi muốn tất cả tên của tôi, tên các nhân vật, cũng như tất cả từ tiếng Việt, phải được giữ dấu trong các tác phẩm bằng tiếng Anh, dù có phải bán ít sách hơn. Một là tôi muốn tôn trọng ngôn ngữ của mình. Thứ hai, tôi muốn mời độc giả đến với Việt Nam bằng cách trân trọng văn hóa của mình, sự phong phú trong ngôn ngữ của mình. Và tôi nghĩ là đã đến lúc chúng ta thay đổi việc này. Hãy trả lại con dấu của tiếng Việt. Đừng để chúng ta bị áp đặt như thế. Chiến tranh Việt Nam đã được kể nhiều, nhưng phần lớn là từ góc nhìn của người nước ngoài, nhất là trong điện ảnh và văn học Mỹ. Theo chị, điều gì còn thiếu trong cách thế giới hiểu về chiến tranh Việt Nam và văn chương có thể làm gì để thay đổi điều đó?  Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai :Tôi đã nhận được rất nhiều thư của các độc giả. Họ là những người đã xem rất nhiều bộ phim Hollywood về Việt Nam hoặc đọc nhiều sách rất nổi tiếng của các tác giả nước ngoài viết về Chiến tranh Việt Nam. Họ nói với tôi rằng họ rất trân trọng khi mà câu chuyện được kể bởi những người phụ nữ và bởi những đứa trẻ. Ví dụ như trong cuốn Sơn Ca, nhân vật chính là một em bé 12 tuổi, tên Hương. Em ấy phải trải qua rất nhiều sự kiện lịch sử từ những năm 1960 cho đến thời hiện đại. Hương được vực dậy bởi sức mạnh của người bà. Người bà, tên Diệu Lan của em kể những câu chuyện về gia đình mình, để em có thể có thêm sức mạnh để sống sót qua chiến tranh. Tôi muốn nói về những người bình thường, tự nhiên, cuộc sống của họ bị phá tan bởi chiến tranh, không chỉ bởi chiến tranh mà bởi những sự kiện lịch sử. Ví dụ như cải cách ruộng đất, hay là nạn đói năm 1945 hoặc những biến đổi về kinh tế, xã hội, đã gây ra hậu quả cho gia đình của họ. Tiểu thuyết thứ hai của tôi, Bí mật dưới tán cây bồ đề (Dust Child) viết về những thân phận của những người con lai Mỹ ở Việt Nam. Tôi muốn kể một câu chuyện cùng với số phận của những người con lai. Tôi muốn nói về thân phận của những người con gái trong trắng tại sao trong những hoàn cảnh nào đưa đẩy buộc họ phải làm cho những quán bar và buộc họ phải bán thân và sự đau đớn, sự dày vò của họ như thế nào khi họ phải cho đi những đứa con của mình và sau này họ đã làm lại cuộc đời của mình như thế nào. Phải chăng theo chị, viết về chiến tranh là một cách không chỉ để kể lại nỗi đau, kể về những vết thương chiến tranh, mà còn là một cách để chữa lành và thậm chí là để đòi công lý? Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai :Đúng vậy, tiểu thuyết Sơn Ca chẳng hạn, tôi khôn chỉ viết về chiến tranh Việt Nam, mà tôi viết cả về cuộc xâm lược của Pháp, của Nhật, rồi nạn đói năm 1945 những gì mà người Việt chúng ta đã gây ra cho nhau. Khi tôi kể về nạn đói năm 1945, tôi đã tiểu thuyết hóa cái chết của bà nội tôi, là một người nông dân hiền lành ở Ninh Bình và khi mà nạn đói quét qua làng, anh của bà cũng chết vì đói, sau đó là một người con trai của bà. Lúc đó, bố tôi và cô tôi đói lả đi và sắp chết, bà tôi đi tìm thức ăn cho con mình, đi vào một cánh đồng ngô và bẻ trộm ngô để đem về cho con ăn. Người trông coi cánh đồng ngô đó bắt được và trói bà tôi vào những cái cây ngô. Bình thường, khi bị trói vào một cây ngô, thì mình có thể bước ra, đi về được nhưng mà bà tôi lúc đó đói quá, đã chết ngay trên cánh đồng ngô. Sau này nghe kể lại, tôi rất là căm hận người đã gây ra cái chết của bà và tôi đã sáng tác ra một nhân vật rất độc ác trong câu chuyện. Tôi muốn trả thù, tôi muốn những điều khủng khiếp nhất sẽ giáng xuống đầu ông ấy và gia đình ông ấy. Nhưng mà khi tôi viết câu chuyện này thì tôi tìm ra cách kết thúc câu chuyện là sự tha thứ. Tôi nghĩ nếu chúng ta học được sự tha thứ, thì cái trái đất này sẽ được an nhiên hơn, sẽ có được hòa bình nhiều hơn. Nếu con người học cách hiểu nhau hơn, học cách thương yêu nhau hơn thì một ngày nào đó chúng ta không hủy diệt nhau như bây giờ và tôi rất đau lòng khi thấy chiến tranh đang xảy ra ở rất nhiều nơi trên thế giới. Về hai cuốn tiểu thuyết này, tôi viết để ca ngợi tình yêu của con người đối với con người. Tôi viết để ca ngợi lòng trắc ẩn trong những thời khắc đen tối nhất. Tôi viết để ca ngợi sự phong phú và vẻ đẹp của văn hóa Việt Nam cũng như là tình yêu của người Việt Nam dành cho gia đình họ. Cải cách ruộng đất, những cái chết vì nạn đói, những đứa trẻ bị bỏ rơi... Đó là những phần ký ức đau đớn, đôi khi bị né tránh. Liệu chị có cảm thấy áp lực khi viết về những điều này không?  Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai :Là một nhà văn viết về lịch sử, tôi nhớ nhà thơ Trần Dần có một câu thơ, mình phải đi trên một cái sợi dây sự thật, giữ thăng bằng rất là khó, nhưng tôi viết về con người, tôi không viết về tôi. Tôi cũng không phải là một người làm chính trị, tôi muốn viết về số phận của những con người và những gì mà người Việt Nam đã phải trải qua rất nhiều qua sự thăng trầm của lịch sử. Khá nhiều người đã viết về cải cách ruộng đất, về nạn đói năm 1945 nhưng tôi nghĩ mỗi người có một cách tiếp cận khác nhau. Cách kể chuyện của tôi vẫn đặt trung tâm là tình yêu gia đình, là sự nỗ lực của những con người Việt Nam vượt qua những thử thách lịch sử đó như thế nào để họ có thể tiếp tục sống sót và có thể tự chữa lành cho bản thân mình, cho những người thân và làm sao họ có thể tha thứ để sống tiếp. Việc tha thứ rất quan trọng. Tôi thấy người Việt cũng làm khá nhiều điều tàn ác với người Việt và tôi nghĩ là rất quan trọng khi chúng ta đối diện với sự thật. Chúng ta nhìn thẳng vào sự tàn khốc của lịch sử đó để chia sẻ với thế hệ trẻ, những bài học từ quá khứ để tiến tới một xã hội tốt đẹp hơn, nơi người Việt yêu thương người Việt nhiều hơn nữa. Trong tiểu thuyết Sơn Ca chẳng hạn, gia đình họ Trần có thành viên theo Cộng sản và những thành viên theo chế độ Việt Nam Cộng Hòa tức là họ đã trực tiếp chiến đấu để chống lại nhau. Đó là một sự thật. Có quá nhiều gia đình người Việt có những thành viên cầm súng đứng ở hai phía và sau sau chiến tranh, họ làm như thế nào để hàn gắn, làm thế nào để có thể tha thứ cho nhau. Tôi nghĩ đó là việc phải lắng nghe nhau, phải hiểu những trải nghiệm của nhau, hiểu những lý do tại sao mình đứng về phe này mà không phải phe kia. Tôi muốn nói về cái tính người của tất cả những nhân vật, những người từng bị xem là kẻ thù chẳng hạn. Những người bị gạt ra rìa xã hội, tôi muốn đặt họ làm trung tâm, tôi muốn nói về cái tính người của họ. Tôi không muốn mô tả họ như những nạn nhân mà là những người can đảm vượt qua số phận để có thể thay đổi số phận của mình và đem lại sự thay đổi số phận của những người khác. Chị có thể chia sẻ thêm về cách mà chị xây dựng nhân vật trong hai tác phẩm nói trên ? Đó là những nhân vật mà chị quen biết, hay qua những tư liệu ? Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai :Thực ra hai tiểu thuyết này là hai tiểu thuyết lịch sử cho nên, tôi nghĩ công việc nghiên cứu rất là quan trọng. Tôi đã phỏng vấn, nói thật là cả hàng trăm người. Khi tôi sinh ra, hai người bà của tôi đã mất cho nên tôi đã phỏng vấn rất nhiều người bà. Tôi nghe những câu chuyện của họ và tôi xây dựng một hình tượng bà Diệu Lan để tôi có thể nhìn thấy, nghe thấy, có thể tưởng tượng được những ước mơ của hai người bà, bà nội và bà ngoại của tôi, cũng như nhiều người bà trong lịch sử Việt Nam. Trong tiểu thuyết thứ hai, có hai nhân vật là hai cô gái miền Tây lên Sài Gòn phải làm quán bar và sau sau đó phải bán thân để có thể sống sót qua chiến tranh và nhân vật một người con lai da đen và một cựu chiến binh Mỹ. Để xây dựng những nhân vật này, cảm hứng sáng tác của câu chuyện này đến từ những ngày mà tôi tình nguyện giúp những người con lai Mỹ tìm lại gia đình của họ. Tôi làm công việc đó bằng cách viết những bài báo để giúp đưa những câu chuyện của họ đến với độc giả để có thể giúp họ kết nối với những người có một manh mối thông tin nào đó. Tôi đi tìm những địa chỉ cũ để kết nối họ với nhau. Tôi đã phỏng vấn nhiều người trong chương trình nghiên cứu tiến sĩ của tôi và đã xin phép họ được tiểu thuyết hóa những trải nghiệm của họ cho quyển sách này và cũng rất là may là họ đã đồng ý. RFI Tiếng Việt xin chân thành cảm ơn tiến sĩ Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, nhà thơ, tiểu thuyết gia và là tác giả của cuốn Sơn Ca (The moutains sing) và Bí mật dưới tán cây bồ đề(Dust Child), hiện đang trong quá trình hoàn thiện bản dịch sang tiếng Việt và in ấn do nhà xuất bản Nhã Nam ở Việt Nam thực hiện.

Join us, as we remember the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war, to hear the novelist and poet Quế Mai in conversation with Craig McNamara, whose father was Robert McNamara, the secretary of defense under both JFK and LBJ during the Vietnam war. Quế Mai will discuss her poetry, the long-lasting impact of war on the Vietnamese, and how Vietnam has continued to change politically after the war. She will also focus on Vietnamese literary culture, its poetry and proverbs, and the various Vietnamese “ways of life” that have survived the violent chaos of several decades of war. Having experienced the hardships of rural life first-hand in the 1970s and 1980s, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai has used her literary skills to travel the world with her stories. The Color of Peace, her new book of poetry, can be read as a travelogue of the route one can take to forgiveness, appreciation and extending one's love for one's own people and homelands to all of humanity. Vietnam, with its more than 4,000 years of history and culture and its poetry-loving people, remains the passionate center of The Color of Peace. When read in the light of her international bestselling novels, The Mountains Sing and Dust Child, which have been translated into 27 languages, it provides her readers with a unique understanding of Vietnam's past and present and a glimpse into its future. Organizer: George Hammond   A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In unserer neue Folge reisen wir - trotz Erkältung, im Falle Martinas - nach Vietnam. "Der Gesang der Berge" der vietnamesischen Autorin Nguyen Phan Que Mai ist nichts weniger als ein epischer Rundumschlag: Der Roman erzählt die Geschichte der Familie Tram aus der Perspektive von Großmutter Dieu Lan und ihrer Enkelin Huong, von den 1920 Jahren bis in das Jahr 2017. Auch die wechsel- und oft gewaltvolle Geschichte Vietnams spielt in diesem Roman eine Hauptrolle. Von französischer Kolonialzeit über Landreform bis zum Vietnamkrieg prägt die "große", nationale Geschichte die "kleine" intime Geschichte der Familie. Ein ganz schön großer Rundumschlag, den sich Nguyen Phan Que Mai mit ihrem auf Englisch geschriebenen Buch da vorgenommen hat. Ob dieser Rundumschlag auf allen Ebenen gelungen ist, erfahrt ihr in dieser Folge!

Sabaidee and hello! Welcome to Season 3 of Thip Khao Talk Podcast. Sophia Tran-Vu, Legacies of War Board Member, sits down with Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai! Born and raised in Việt Nam, Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning writer in Vietnamese and English, author of twelve books of fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Her poetry in Vietnamese have been written into popular songs and has received Poetry of the Year 2010 Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital Award for Arts and Literature, as well as First Prize, the Poetry Competition about 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her two novels in English, The Mountains Sing and Dust Child, are both international bestsellers and have been honored with Runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, the International Book Awards, the BookBrowse Best Debut Award, and the Lannan Literary Fellowship in Fiction. Her writing has been translated into twenty-seven languages and has appeared in major publications including The New York Times. Quế Mai is the Peace Ambassador for PeaceTree Vietnam, an organization that works to remove unexploded bombs in Việt Nam, as well as an Ambassador for Room to Read, an organisation that aims to erase global illiteracy and promotes girls' education, She was named by Forbes Vietnam as one of 20 inspiring women of 2021. She has a Ph.D in Creative Writing with the U.K.'s Lancaster University. Theme song by ⁠Lao Jazzanova⁠ Learn more about Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai Learn more about Legacies of War

Host J.R. Jamison sits down with Vietnamese poet and novelist Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai—author of the international bestsellers The Mountains Sing and Dust Child–to talk about writing the American and Viet Nam war from Vietnamese perspectives and how volunteering for international peace organizations has influenced how she tells stories.Photo Credit – Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, photo provided.This Dreamscape® Recording from the book, The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is text copyright ©2020 by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai. Published by arrangement with Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman Publishing Company, Inc., New York. Sound copyright ℗2020 by Dreamscape Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Dreamscape® Media, LLC. www.dreamscapepublishing.com.

In this episode of Books, Baby! , Ian, Bev, and Alo dive into the ultimate holiday reading list, sharing their top recommendations for books that make the perfect travel companions. We explore perfect pairings for your next trip, like visiting St. Petersburg after reading Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, wandering through Tuscany with Portrait of a Lady by Henry James, or discovering Vietnam while immersed in Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's The Mountain Sing. Whether you're seeking lighthearted rom-coms or gripping thrillers, we've got you covered with recommendations to make your journey unforgettable! Connect with us via email (booksbabypod@gmail.com) and on Instagram! Books, Baby! - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksbabypod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Hosts: Ian - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@bookish_ian⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bev - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@booksgonewilde⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alo - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@books.swallows.universe⁠⁠

Gruber, Georg www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

Gruber, Georg www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

Gruber, Georg www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Lesart

Funck, Gisa www.deutschlandfunk.de, Büchermarkt

In questa puntata, Alessandro Barbaglia apre con il gesto dello sfogliare, che appartiene a molti lettori e avventori della libreria. Cosa succede quando un lettore sfoglia un libro che non conosce? Quali verità ne trae?La novità della settimana è Nella stanza dell'imperatore di Sonia Aggio, edito Fazi, mentre il consiglio di lettura di Chiara Sgarbi è Quando le montagne cantano di Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, edito Nord.L'ospite della puntata è Alice Bigli, allenatrice di lettura.SHELF. IL POSTO DEI LIBRIdi Alessandro Barbaglia e Chiara Sgarbi Realizzato da MONDADORI STUDIOSA cura di Miriam Spinnato e Danilo Di TerminiCoordinamento editoriale di Elena MarinelliProgetto grafico di Francesco PoroliMusiche di Gianluigi CarloneMontaggio e post produzione Indiehub studio

A VietNam Marine Veteran and a VietNam survivor, both writers, read and discuss the impact of that war.

In today's episode, I am chatting with Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai. Born and raised in Việt Nam, she is the author of the global best-selling novels The Mountains Sing and Dust Child. In this episode, Quế Mai shares about the importance of tonal marks in the Vietnamese language, how writing saved her with a traveling lifestyle, what she has learned about herself through writing. She brought a wonderful book flight with her to highlight Vietnamese authors. Happy listening!

Skjønner du hvorfor jeg har bestemt meg for å fortelle deg om familien vår? Hvis historiene våre overlever, dør vi ikke, selv ikke når kroppen ikke lenger er her på jorden.Vietnam-krigen utgjorde et vannskille i den kalde krigen og i Vestens selvforståelse. Men hvordan ser historien ut fra et vietnamesisk perspektiv?I Vietnam er krigen stadig et traume. Det er dette forfatter Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai gå inn på med romanen Fjellene synger (til norsk ved Lene Stokseth). Her følger vi vekselvis jenta Huong og bestemoren Diệu Lan.Mens resten av familien er spredd for alle vinder, forsøker Huong og Diệu Lan å komme seg gjennom dagene ved hjelp av historier. Huong forsvinner inn i bøker som Pinocchio og Skatten på sjørøverøya, eller lytter til bestemoren som forteller sin livshistorie. Her tar Nguyễn oss med gjennom Vietnams historie gjennom det siste hundreåret, fra landet var kolonisert av Japan og kommunistregimets brutale reformer på 50-tallet og til de grufulle årene som er Vietnamkrigen. Er forsoning i det hele tatt mulig etter tiår med overgrep og familier som har blitt revet i stykker?Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai har en rekke poesiutgivelser bak seg på vietnamesisk, og i Fjellene synger, som er hennes første roman på engelsk, kommer bakgrunnen fra poesien tydelig fram. Hun balanserer den mørke historien med et sanselig og lyrisk språk, og med romanens flerstemmighet utfordrer hun det svart-hvite bildet vi kjenner fra historiebøker og Hollywood-filmer. For romanen vant hun blant annet International Book Awards og PEN Oakland/ Josephine Miles Literary Award.Da Nguyễn gjestet Litteraturhuset, møtte hun oversetter og kunstnerisk rådgiver ved Norsk litteraturfestival, Yukiko Duke, til samtale om minner, forsoning og Vietnams blodige historie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you understand why I've decided to tell you about our family? If our stories survive, we will not die, even when our bodies are no longer here on this earth.The Vietnam war was a watershed event in the Cold War as well as in the West's understanding of itself. But what does the story look like from a Vietnamese perspective?In Vietnam, the war is still a traumatic experience. This is what writer Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai explores in her novel The Mountains Sing, in which we alternately follow the girl Huong and her grandmother Diệu Lan.While the rest of the family has been scattered across the country, Huong and Diệu Lan tries to make it through the days with the help of stories. Huong disappears into books like Pinocchio and Treasure Island, or listens to her grandmother sharing her life story, where Nguyễn takes us through the history of Vietnam in the last hundred years, from a colony under Japan and the brutal reforms of the communist regime in the 1950s and through the horrific years of the Vietnam war. Is reconciliation at all possible after decades of abuse and with families torn apart?Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai has published a number of poetry collections in Vietnamese, and in The Mountains Sing, her first novel in English, this background from poetry is clearly visible. She balances the dark story with a vivid and lyrical language, and through the novel's chorus of voices, she challenges the black and white picture we know from history books and Hollywood movies. The novel has been met with critical acclaim, and won her the International Book Award and the PEN Oakland/ Josephine Miles Literary Award.When Nguyễn visited the House of Literature, she was joined by translator and artistic advisor for the Norwegian Festival of Literature, Yukiko Duke, for a conversation about memories, reconciliation and Vietnam's bloody history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestselling author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai and debut Australian author André Dao come together to discuss their new books in which the tumult of Vietnamese history converges with the present day. The follow-up to The Mountains Sing, Quế Mai's Dust Child is a suspenseful saga of family secrets, hidden trauma and the overriding power of forgiveness. André's Anam moves through a series of displacements from Hanoi to Paris and Melbourne to explore themes of memory, colonialism, inheritance and belonging. They appear in conversation with Sheila Ngọc Phạm. This episode was recorded live at the 2023 Sydney Writers' Festival.   If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and follow our channel.  Sydney Writers' Festival podcasts are available on all major podcast platforms.  After more? Follow Sydney Writers' Festival on social media:Instagram: @sydwritersfestFacebook: @SydWritersFestTwitter: @SydWritersFestTikTok: @sydwritersfestSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Những Ngôi Sao Trên Bầu Trời Thành Phố của nhà văn Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai gồm 34 câu chuyện nhỏ lấy cảm hứng từ những chuyện chị kể cho con trước giờ đi ngủ. Là một người con xa xứ, nhà văn trân trọng những ký ức ngọt ngào về làng quê Việt, với những trò chơi dân gian, cánh chuồn chuồn, ngọn cỏ gà, triền đê lộng gió... Tập truyện không chỉ dành cho trẻ em mà còn có thể đánh động dư âm tuổi thơ ở cả bố mẹ, ông bà. Qua đó, tác giả muốn gửi gắm rằng những điều bình dị nhất của quê hương có khả năng làm giàu đời sống tinh thần con trẻ.--Về Fonos:Fonos là Ứng dụng âm thanh số - Với hơn 3.000+ nội dung gồm Sách nói có bản quyền, Ebook, Tóm tắt sách, Thiền định, Truyện ngủ, Nhạc chủ đề, Truyện thiếu nhi. Tất cả chương 1 đều miễn phí, tải app ngay: https://fonos.link/PCFonos--Tìm hiểu thêm về Fonos: https://fonos.vn/Theo dõi Facebook Fonos: https://www.facebook.com/fonosvietnam/

Những Ngôi Sao Trên Bầu Trời Thành Phố của nhà văn Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai gồm 34 câu chuyện nhỏ lấy cảm hứng từ những chuyện chị kể cho con trước giờ đi ngủ. Là một người con xa xứ, nhà văn trân trọng những ký ức ngọt ngào về làng quê Việt, với những trò chơi dân gian, cánh chuồn chuồn, ngọn cỏ gà, triền đê lộng gió... Tập truyện không chỉ dành cho trẻ em mà còn có thể đánh động dư âm tuổi thơ ở cả bố mẹ, ông bà. Qua đó, tác giả muốn gửi gắm rằng những điều bình dị nhất của quê hương có khả năng làm giàu đời sống tinh thần con trẻ.--Về Fonos:Fonos là Ứng dụng âm thanh số - Với hơn 3.000+ nội dung gồm Sách nói có bản quyền, Ebook, Tóm tắt sách, Thiền định, Truyện ngủ, Nhạc chủ đề, Truyện thiếu nhi. Tất cả chương 1 đều miễn phí, tải app ngay: https://fonos.link/PCFonos--Tìm hiểu thêm về Fonos: https://fonos.vn/Theo dõi Facebook Fonos: https://www.facebook.com/fonosvietnam/

Purchase on Zibby's Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3pf5g8RPurchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/3pdVWlCSubscribe to Zibby's weekly newsletter here.Purchase Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books merch here. Now there's more! Subscribe to Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books on Acast+ and get ad-free episodes. https://plus.acast.com/s/moms-dont-have-time-to-read-books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An interview with Nguyen Phan Que Mai, author of the new novel, Dust Child. The book is a saga about two Vietnamese sisters and two American men, whose lives intersect in surprising ways, set during and after the war in Vietnam.

Những câu chuyện được chắp bút trong các tác phẩm nhà văn Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, vừa mang đến hình dung của sự khốc liệt trong chiến tranh từ góc nhìn đa chiều, đồng thời thấm đượm nét đẹp của con người, văn hóa Việt Nam, và những nỗ lực hàn gắn cho các thế hệ.

The legacy of the Vietnam War is on their faces. The children of the American GI's stationed in Vietnam during the war and the local women who bore them – left behind and overwhelmingly rejected. Author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai braids together the stories of a young mother hoping for a life in America, an adult son searching for the father he never knew, and an American Vietnam war veteran looking for redemption. “Dust Child” is at once empathetic, devastating, and upbeat burnished with Quế Mai's stunning signature prose. "I think we are blessed with a life on this Earth so that we can uplift each other, and I really think every one of us has so much power inside of us that we can use for a good purpose," said Quế Mai when asked what she wants her readers to take away from her novel. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is the author of twelve books of fiction, poetry and non-fiction written in Vietnamese and English. Her work has been translated into twenty languages. Her first novel “The Mountains Sing”, the first written in English, was a runner up for the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize and other awards including the 2021 Pen Oakland Josephine Miles Literary Award, and the 2021 International Book Award. “Dust Child” is her second historical novel, and it's our April selection for “Bookmarked: The Under the Radar Book Club".

In today's episode, Catherine (Gilmore Guide to Books) and I circle back to the 16 books we featured in the Winter 2023 Book Preview. We'll be sharing our reading stats and thoughts on the books we've read (or attempted), to help you decide which ones to add to your reading list and which ones to skip. This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Highlights How Sarah's favorite books from 2022 are impacting her expectations. Catherine and Sarah share their Winter 2023 reading stats and success rates. Sarah had stellar results with four 5-star books! Plus, their #1 picks from winter! They name their best and worst books from the Preview. Books We Read Before the Preview [5:03] Sarah's Picks: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (January 17) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [5:25] Maame by Jessica George (January 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [8:31] Winter 2023 Circle Back [10:31] January Sarah's Pick: The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses (January 17) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [17:46] Catherine's Picks: Ghost Season by Fatin Abbas (January 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [10:38] Margot by Wendell Steavenson (January 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [14:40]  February Sarah's Picks: I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (February 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:50] Time's Undoing by Cheryl A. Head (February 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:09]  Catherine's Picks: Victory City by Salman Rushdie (February 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [22:00]  Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes (February 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:39] On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel (February 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [35:53] All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley (February 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:05]  March Sarah's Picks: Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson (March 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [38:27] All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay (March 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:00]  Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (March 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:04]  Catherine's Picks: Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (March 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:02] The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi (March 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:08] Other Books Mentioned Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus [2:58] Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett [2:59] Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin [3:01] The Measure by Nikki Erlick [3:06] The One by John Marrs [3:11] The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai [26:34] The Secret History by Donna Tartt [29:36] Circe by Madeline Miller [33:16] Betty by Tiffany McDaniel [37:54] Watergate by Garrett M. Graff [44:26] The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne [51:05] Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane [51:08] Little Women by Louisa May Alcott [51:28] Dear Edward by Ann Nepolitano [53:01] The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi [53:58]

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's new novel, Dust Child, takes a closer look at the often-fraught relationships between Vietnamese women and American soldiers during the war. In today's episode, the author tells NPR's Scott Simon how she was always fascinated by the stories of the forgotten children from those relationships – often left behind, abandoned, and raised with a deep resentment for their mixed roots. The novel follows both the perspective of that generation – trying to find a better future – and that of the servicemembers being forced, decades later, to confront their past decisions.

(S8, EP 8) For this week's episode, I am honored to bring in critically-acclaimed and best-selling author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai as a guest. We discussed her latest book, "Dust Child", and the issues surrounding AmerAsians who were left behind during the Vietnam War, the discrimination that ethnic minorities face in Vietnam, and the stigmas that is covered in her book. Don't miss out on this episode, and order your copy of "Dust Child". Bio: Born and raised in Việt Nam, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is the author of the international bestseller The Mountains Sing, runner-up for the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, the 2021 International Book Awards, the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, and the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for Fiction. She has published twelve books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction in Vietnamese and English and has received some of the top literary prizes in Việt Nam. Her writing has been translated into twenty languages and has appeared in major publications, including the New York Times. She has a PhD in creative writing from Lancaster University. She is an advocate for the rights of disadvantaged groups in Việt Nam and has founded several scholarship programs, and she was named by Forbes Vietnam as one of twenty inspiring women of 2021. Dust Child is her second novel. For more information, visit: www.nguyenphanquemai.com. VietFive Coffee: Start your day right with VietFive Coffee. Freshly grown coffee harvested straight from Vietnam and roasted in Chicago, VietFive offers rich quality tasting Vietnamese coffee straight to your soul. Visit VietFive Coffee in Chicago to grab a fresh cup and a Banh Mi to go along with it, or go to www.vietfive.com and use the code in all Caps: VMNCHIV5 to get 15% off your purchase. CIRCA-Pintig: Circa-Pintig stands for The Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts and Pintig meaning “Pulse” in the Filipinx language.- CIRCA Pintig is a 501c3 organization that engages communities through the power of the arts to challenge injustice and transcend social change. Circa Pintig produces timely works to provide education, activation, and advocacy. For information about upcoming events and to learn about how to get involved, visit www.circapintig.org --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/banhmichronicles/support

EPISODE 1376: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to the author of DUST CHILD ,Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, about Vietnamese Amerasians, the role of literature in healing trauma, and why female novelists like herself should appropriate the voices of men  Born and raised in Việt Nam, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is the author of The Mountains Sing, runner-up for the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, the 2021 International Book Awards, the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, and the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for Fiction. She has published twelve books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and has received some of the top literary prizes in Việt Nam. Her writing has been translated into twenty languages and has appeared in major publications, including the New York Times. She has a PhD in creative writing from Lancaster University. She is an advocate for the rights of disadvantaged groups in Việt Nam and has founded several scholarship programs, and she was named by Forbes Vietnam as one of twenty inspiring women of 2021. For more information, visit: http://www.nguyenphanquemai.com. Her latest book is DUST CHILD (2023) Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer. She is the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction, and non-fiction. Her books in Vietnamese have won the 2010 Poetry of the Year Award from the Hanoi Writers Association and first prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, The Mountains Sing, is an international bestseller and won the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award. She regularly writes for Vietnamese newspapers and her writing has appeared in outlets including The New York Times, BBC Vietnamese, LitHub, and Poets & Writers Magazine. Her second novel in English, Dust Child, is forthcoming from Algonquin Books. 

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer whose debut novel The Mountains Sing, published in English in 2020, won the International Book Awards in 2021 and was runner-up in the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. It portrays the lives of four generations of a Vietnamese family enduring many hardships, something she understands well from her own upbringing. In conversation with presenter Felicity Finch, Quế Mai shares her writing process as she works on her second novel Dust Child, which is about Amerasians, children of American military men who were abandoned during The Vietnam War. Meetings with her New York publisher and editor Betsy Gleick help guide her through the many months of development as well as her desire to retain the Vietnamese-ness of her prose. This programme was first broadcast in May 2022, but for this version, as dust Child is about to be published, Felicity takes the opportunity to catch up with Quế Mai, to find out how that feels.

Welcome to the Winter 2023 Book Preview with Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books!   In this episode, Catherine and I share 16 of our most anticipated books releasing January through March.   This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Announcement Join our Patreon Community to get our bonus podcast episode series called Book Preview Extras! In these episodes, Catherine and I share at least 4 bonus books we are excited about that we did not share in the big show preview episode. Get more details about all the goodies available to all patrons (Stars and Superstars) and sign up here! Highlights Catherine has 6 repeat authors from her 8 books, and Sarah has 4! Catherine's picks are leaning more literary, while Sarah is focusing on more commercial fiction. One 5-star book already from Sarah's selections. Plus, their #1 picks for winter release. Winter 2023 Book Preview [4:34] JANUARY Sarah's Picks: Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (January 17) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [4:56] Maame by Jessica George (January 31) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [12:48] The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses (January 17) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [18:39] Catherine's Picks: Ghost Season by Fatin Abbas (January 10) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [11:05] Margot by Wendell Steavenson (January 24) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[16:02]  FEBRUARY Sarah's Picks: I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (February 21) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [24:08] Time's Undoing by Cheryl A. Head (February 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:10]  Catherine's Picks: Victory City by Salman Rushdie (February 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[21:38]  Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes (February 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:25] On the Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel (February 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [31:43] All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley (February 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:56]  MARCH Sarah's Picks: Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson (March 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:31] All That Is Mine I Carry with Me by William Landay (March 7) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [39:31]  Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano (March 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:04]  Catherine's Picks: Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (March 14) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:26] The Perfumist of Paris by Alka Joshi (March 28) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:46] Other Books Mentioned The One by John Marrs [7:24]  Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli [14:29]  People Person by Candice Carty-Williams [14:31]  Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong [14:52] Ghosts by Dolly Alderton [15:13] Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus [18:13] Winterland by Rae Meadows [18:49] The Power by Naomi Alderman [23:16] The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai [24:14] The Secret History by Donna Tartt [25:22] When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain [25:40] We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper [26:29] Betty by Tiffany McDaniel [33:06] Metropolitan Stories by Christine Coulson [37:12] Defending Jacob by William Landay [39:00] The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai [42:40] Dear Edward by Ann Nepolitano [45:23] The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi [48:05] Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin [49:34] Other Links Golden Age of Detective Fiction | Knox's 10 Commandments

In this episode, I talk to the wonderful Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai,  author of The Mountains Sing. We talk about her beautiful debut novel as well as a whole host of things including family, story-telling, history, decolonising literature and her upcoming novel.Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer and journalist. She is the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction and non-fiction. Her books in Vietnamese has received the 2010 Poetry of the Year Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital's Literature & Arts Award, and First Prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, THE MOUNTAINS SING, is an International Bestseller, Finalist of the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, Winner of the Blogger's Book Prize 2021, Winner of the 2021 International Book Awards, Winner of the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, and Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for "a work of exceptional quality" and for "contribution to peace and reconciliation".She has been named by Forbes Vietnam as one of 20 inspiring women of 2021. Her second novel in English, Dust Child will be published in early 2023. Support the show

This week we speak with Shari Bowers who is the Branch Manager for the new Liberty Branch that is being built. We speak with her about her background and her plans for the new library in the future.  Recommendations include If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy, The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.  Read more about today's episode here. Listen live every Friday morning at 9 AM https://wdlrradio.com/program-schedule/off-the-shelf/  This episode originally aired on June 3, 2022

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer whose debut novel The Mountains Sing, published in English in 2020, won the International Book Awards in 2021 and was runner-up in the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. It portrays the lives of four generations of a Vietnamese family enduring many hardships, something she understands well from her own upbringing. In conversation with presenter Felicity Finch, Quế Mai shares her writing process as she works on her second novel Dust Child, which is about Amerasians, children of American military men who were abandoned during The Vietnam War. Meetings with her New York publisher and editor Betsy Gleick help guide her through the many months of development as well as her desire to retain the Vietnamese-ness of her prose.

When she was six years old, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai and her family left their small village in northern Việt Nam for Bạc Liêu, a city located in one of the southernmost points of the country. As a northerner growing up in the south after 1975, Quế Mai witnessed the post-war devastation felt by those on both sides of the conflict. She gained a deep appreciation for the stories of all those around her, including the many boat people who were fleeing the country at the time. She had always wanted to be a writer, but initially pursued a career in business instead. But the dream to be a writer was always there. When Quế Mai published her first book of poetry in Vietnamese, there was no looking back. In 2020, she published THE MOUNTAINS SING, her debut novel and first book written in English. Set in 20th century Việt Nam, it tells the multigenerational tale of the Trần family as they experience several crucial moments in the nation's history. The novel became an international bestseller, as well as a testament to the power of Vietnamese stories. Credits: Executive Producer: Tracey Nguyen Mang Associate Producer: Saoli Nguyen (saolinguyen.com / IG: @saolinguyen) VBP theme music: Clarity, Paulina Vo Other Music: Before the War, Lama House; Dew Over Meguro, Lama House; Miika's Journey, Lama House; Where Legends Dwell, Lama House; Chapters, Aerian

Lieske, Tanyawww.deutschlandfunk.de, BüchermarktDirekter Link zur Audiodatei

Kaiser, Johanneswww.deutschlandfunk.de, BüchermarktDirekter Link zur Audiodatei

Bewegende Zeiten, ungekannte Perspektiven: Unsere Highlights aus dem Insel Herbstprogramm entführen in fremde Welten – von Frankfurt bis Lappland, von London bis Hanoi. Für alle, die in diesem Jahr nicht zur Frankfurter Buchmesse fahren, präsentieren wir ausgewählte Bücher unseres aktuellen Herbstprogramms in einem zwölfteiligen »Suhrkamp espresso«-Spezial. Die Bücher der Folge: »Der Gesang der Berge« von Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai: http://insel.vg/GesangDerBerge-P »Die Frau, die den Himmel eroberte« von Vanessa Giese: http://insel.vg/Himmeleroberte-P »Überwintern« von Katherine May: http://insel.vg/Ueberwintern-P »Das verbotene Notizbuch« von Alba de Céspedes: http://insel.vg/VerboteneNotizbuch-P »Land aus Schnee und Asche« von Petra Rautiainen: http://insel.vg/SchneeUndAsche-P »Ein Rätsel auf blauschwarzem Grund« von Lars Mytting: http://insel.vg/EinRaetsel-P

Mark Leslie Lefebvre's first short story appeared in print in 1992, the same year he started working in the book industry.He has published more than twenty-five books under the name Mark Leslie that include thrillers and fiction (Evasion, A Canadian Werewolf in New York, One Hand Screaming), paranormal non-fiction (Haunted Hospitals, Spooky Sudbury, Tomes of Terror) and anthologies (Campus Chills, Tesseracts Sixteen, Obsessions). Under his full name he writes books to help authors navigate publishing. And they include The 7 P's of Publishing Success and An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores.His industry experience includes President of the Canadian Booksellers Association, Board Member of BookNet Canada, Director of Author Relations and Self-Publishing for Rakuten Kobo, Director of Business Development for Draft2Digital and Professional Advisor for Sheridan College's Creative Writing and Publishing Honours Program.Mark lives in Waterloo, Ontario and can be found online at http://markleslie.ca/Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer and journalist. She is the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction and non-fiction. Her books in Vietnamese has received the 2010 Poetry of the Year Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital's Literature & Arts Award, and First Prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, THE MOUNTAINS SING, is an International Bestseller, Finalist of the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, Winner of the Blogger's Book Prize 2021, Winner of the 2021 International Book Awards, Winner of the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, and Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for "a work of exceptional quality" and for "contribution to peace and reconciliation".https://nguyenphanquemai.com/The Douglas Coleman Show now offers audio and video promotional packages for music artists as well as video promotional packages for authors. Please see our website for complete details. http://douglascolemanshow.comIf you have a comment about this episode or any other, please click the link below.https://ratethispodcast.com/douglascolemanshow

Mark Leslie Lefebvre's first short story appeared in print in 1992, the same year he started working in the book industry.He has published more than twenty-five books under the name Mark Leslie that include thrillers and fiction (Evasion, A Canadian Werewolf in New York, One Hand Screaming), paranormal non-fiction (Haunted Hospitals, Spooky Sudbury, Tomes of Terror) and anthologies (Campus Chills, Tesseracts Sixteen, Obsessions). Under his full name he writes books to help authors navigate publishing. And they include The 7 P's of Publishing Success and An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores.His industry experience includes President of the Canadian Booksellers Association, Board Member of BookNet Canada, Director of Author Relations and Self-Publishing for Rakuten Kobo, Director of Business Development for Draft2Digital and Professional Advisor for Sheridan College's Creative Writing and Publishing Honours Program.Mark lives in Waterloo, Ontario and can be found online at http://markleslie.ca/Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer and journalist. She is the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction and non-fiction. Her books in Vietnamese has received the 2010 Poetry of the Year Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital's Literature & Arts Award, and First Prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, THE MOUNTAINS SING, is an International Bestseller, Finalist of the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, Winner of the Blogger's Book Prize 2021, Winner of the 2021 International Book Awards, Winner of the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, and Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for "a work of exceptional quality" and for "contribution to peace and reconciliation".https://nguyenphanquemai.com/The Douglas Coleman Show now offers audio and video promotional packages for music artists as well as video promotional packages for authors. Please see our website for complete details. http://douglascolemanshow.comIf you have a comment about this episode or any other, please click the link below.https://ratethispodcast.com/douglascolemanshow

In this episode, we hear a recording of a virtual event called Automated and Connected Vehicles: A Glimpse at the Vehicle of the Future. We also talk about what we've been reading. In this episode, Abby and Abby talked about reading: The Mountains Sing by Ngyuễn Phan Qué Mai , who has a new book … Continue reading S.4 Ep.17- Automated and Connected Vehicles: A Glimpse at the Vehicle of the Future →

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, chats about The Mountains Sing. This novel is already a New York Times Editors' choice, and winner of several awards including the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship. Plus it's been named a best book in 2020 by the Washington Post , *O, The Oprah Magazine, USA Today, NPR's Book Concierge and tens more publications. Plus, it also happens to be her first novel, written in the English language. Quế Mai shares her inspiration for the novel, and you can tell from her passion for storytelling and the Vietnamese language & culture why she was selected by Forbes Magazine as one of Twenty Inspiring Vietnamese women of 2021! Find The Mountains Sing on bookshop.org as well as the books Quế Mai references by Wayne Karlin. Connect with Quế Mai and learn more about her books at www.nguyenphanquemai.com or on Instagram @nguyenphanquemai_ All episodes in video form at www.bestofwomensfiction.com

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's The Mountains Sing is the epic, multigenerational tale of the Tran family, set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Spanning the French colonial period to the present day, we follow the lives of matriarch Diệu Lan and her granddaughter Huong. Diệu Lan tells Huong of Vietnam's taboo on discussing “the wrongdoing of those in power, for they give themselves the right to rewrite history.” With luminous prose and a compelling immersive story, The Mountains Sing breaks that silence. Chaired by Caroline Baum

In Mirandi Riwoe's award-winning Stone Sky Gold Mountain, we experience Australia's Gold Rush through the eyes of Chinese immigrants Ying and Lai Yue as family circumstances force the two siblings to seek their fortune far from home. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's The Mountains Sing recounts Vietnam's dark history of colonialism and war from the perspective of its people rather than its invaders. These illuminating and engaging novels provide new perspectives on familiar stories in ways as refreshing as they are important. Chaired by Yves Rees

Liliana Russo in TuttoLibri presenta... Quando le montagne cantano, di Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai chats with Readings events manager Chris Gordon about her novel, The Mountains Sing. This conversation was recorded online during the Covid-19 crisis.

Mời các bạn cùng tham gia với Kenneth Nguyễn và cô Phùng Thị Lệ Lý (tác giả When Heaven and Earth Changed Places) và chị Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (tác giả The Mountains Sing) thảo luận về những câu chuyện xung quanh ngày 30 tháng Tư.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Quyên Ngô là một diễn viên tại Los Angeles. Cô bắt đầu tham gia diễn xuất ở trường trung học và tiếp tục đào tạo lên đại học tại Đại học Brown. Trong thời gian làm việc tại Brown, cô làm việc trong đài phát thanh - vừa là người phát thanh vừa là phóng viên, đồng thời là dj và giám đốc chương trình của Trải nghiệm âm thanh 360 ° Black. Cô là người dẫn chuyện của The Mountains Sing của Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, được đề cử cho giải Audie award for Audiobook of the Year, cũng như Eric Nguyen's Things We Lost to the Water và Violet Kupersmith's Build Your House Around My Body. Trong 15 năm qua, cô đã làm việc với nhiều nhóm trên khắp thế giới để nâng cao năng lực, lập chiến lược và cải thiện giao tiếp. Công việc đào tạo và tạo điều kiện của cô ấy nhằm mục đích giúp mọi người làm việc với nhau một cách hài hòa. Công việc diễn xuất của cô ấy tập trung vào việc gia tăng sắc thái trong một thế giới bị tước đoạt.     Quyen Ngo is an actor, narrator, facilitator, and organizer based in Los Angeles. She began acting in middle school and continued training through college at Brown University. During her time at Brown, she worked in radio — both as an anchor and reporter, as well as a dj and the program director of the 360° Black Experience in Sound. She is the narrator of The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, which was nominated for the Audie award for Audiobook of the Year, as well as Eric Nguyen's Things We Lost to the Water and Violet Kupersmith's Build Your House Around My Body. Over the past 15 years, she has worked with groups around the world to build capacity, strategize, and improve communication. Her training and facilitation work aims to help people to work together harmoniously. Her acting work focuses on increasing nuance in a world deprived of it. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (pronounced ŋwiən fα:n kwe mai) is an award-winning writer and journalist. She is the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction and non-fiction in Vietnamese and English. Her writing in Vietnamese has received the 2010 Poetry of the Year Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital's Literature & Arts Award, and First Prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, THE MOUNTAINS SING, is an International Bestseller, a New York Times Editors' Choice Selection, Winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, Winner of the Blogger's Book Prize 2021, Winner of the 2021 International Book Awards, and Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for "a work of exceptional quality" and for "contribution to peace and reconciliation". The novel has been named a best book of 2020 by many media establishments including NPR and the Washington Independent Review of Books. Quế Mai is the translator of seven books published in Vietnam and the United States, and has received the Vietnam Writers Association's Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Advancement of Vietnamese Literature Overseas. She has a PhD in Creative Writing from the UK's Lancaster University. She currently divides her time between Indonesia and Vietnam. Her writing has appeared on The New York Times, BBC Vietnamese, Lit Hub, Poets & Writers Magazine, among others. She has just been named by Forbes Vietnam as one of 20 inspiring women of 2021. Her second novel in English, Dust Child, is forthcoming with Algonquin Books. Quế Mai is passionate about empowering others. In her voluntary roles, Quế Mai is an editor of DVAN's publishing series, an Author Advocate for Room to Read, a creative writing teacher at the Roshan Learning Center for Refugees, and Founder and Head of Advisory Committee of Chắp Cánh Ước Mơ Volunteer Group.  Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vietnamese-with-kenneth-nguyen/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy