Επιμέλεια: Εύα Πετροπούλου Λιανού
Her biography: Kieu Bich Hau, a celebrated Vietnamese writer and cultural ambassador, is a member of the Vietnam Writers’ Association. Born in Hung Yen Province, Vietnam, she is a prominent voice in contemporary literature and an active editor for Writer & Life magazine (Vietnam), NEUMA magazine (Romania), and Humanity magazine (Russia).
She has received numerous accolades, including an honorary doctorate from Prodigy Life Academy (USA) for her extraordinary contributions to literature. Recognized internationally, she serves as the Ambassador of Ukiyoto Publisher (Canada) to Vietnam and is the founder and head of Hanoi Female Translators, promoting literary exchange and empowerment.
With 28 published works spanning prose, poetry, and essays, Kieu Bich Hau’s creative achievements have been widely acclaimed. Her works have been translated into 20 languages, including English, Italian, Korean, and French, amplifying Vietnamese literature globally. She has also earned nine prestigious literary awards, such as the ART Danubius Prize 2022 for fostering Vietnamese-Hungarian cultural ties and the Great Award of Korea 2023 for promoting Vietnamese poetry and prose internationally.
As a cultural representative, she has participated in numerous global literary events, including the ASEAN-China Writers’ Forum (2019, China), the International Poetry Festival – Europa in Versi (2023, Italy), and the World Writers’ Meet (2024, India).
Kieu Bich Hau’s storytelling captures profound human experiences, blending Vietnamese traditions with universal themes. Through her tireless efforts as an author, editor, and cultural advocate, she continues to enrich global understanding of Vietnamese literature and culture.
Her poems:
Secret of Lake Como
Fall in the heart of Lake Como
The beautiful girl falls to the heaven
A witch from the highest mountain follows her,
steals her breath
steals her long hair
steals her blue eyes
She is naked
because her long scream is
transformed into short verses,
into waves in the Lake
I step on a ferry,
chase after her,
catch all the waves – blue verses
and see her naked soul
Her tears from the holes of eyes
fall to the Lake, making it full
she can’t hide now,
I want to die now
Every morning I wake up, sitting next to the window by lakeside
I meditate by blue verses in the Lake Como
to start my long journey, to search for you,
the secret of Lake Como,
the beauty at the bottom of the heaven,
to make love with the witch
at 425 metres deep,
the ice melts.
Waves of Como
Take a ferry along lake Como
I am alone on the waves
in a cloudy morning
I race with myself
You don’t want me
Upset – depressed
What can I do with this destiny?
I am alone on the waves
I can’t hold you in my arm
Suddenly you become a stranger
You are not here, or there for me
What can I do with this destiny?
You are another world
This defeats me
My heart closes
My soul cries
What can I do with this destiny?
Close my eyes, I see only waves in lake Como
So strong waves inside me
Up and down, I am alone on the waves
Close my eyes, and I tell myself never give up
Dance my life, dance on the waves
Learn from this grief
Learn from this adversity
Never give up, I hold myself on the waves
Up and down, and I am alone,
alone on the waves
Adversity can become opportunity, problem can become possibility
Grow up gradually.
