Bảo Ninh

Hoàng Ấu Phương, pen name Bảo Ninh (Nghệ An, 18 October 1952) is a Vietnamese novelist, essayist and writer of short stories, best known for his first novel, published in English as The Sorrow of War.^[1]

During the Vietnam War, he served in the Glorious 27th Youth Brigade. Of the five hundred who went to war with the brigade in 1969, he is one of ten who survived.

In 1987, Bảo Ninh published Trại bảy chú lùn (Camp of Seven Dwarves), a collection of short stories. He has also written a second novel, Steppe, but is said to be reluctant to publish it.^[2]

A short story by Bảo Ninh, "A Marker on the Side of the Boat" (Khắc dấu mạn thuyền), translated by Linh Dinh, is included in the anthology Night, Again.

Bảo Ninh is also a successful essayist.

Works

• The Sorrow of War
• Short story- 2013
• Selected writings-2011
• Are old stories true?- 2009
• Rambling while stuck in traffic-2005
• Hanoi At No Time- 2003

References

1. Christina Schwenkel The American War in Contemporary Vietnam 2009 p.63,"In contemporary literature, popular novels by Dương Thu Hương (1996), Nguyễn Huy Thiệp (1992), and Bảo Ninh (1993) have contributed to an emerging genre that challenges revolutionary heroism and explores the bleakness and hardships of war rather than its glories."
2. Goldenberg, Suzanne (2006-11-19). "Why Vietnam's best-known author has stayed silent". The Observer. Archived from the original on 6 February 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-05.

• Palmos, Frank, Ridding the Devils, Bantam, Sydney, London 1990. ISBN 0947189599