Further Reading

Note: All citations are in order by year of publication within each category.

Fiction in English

“Tet” (story translated by Ly Lan from “Cho den sang nam” in the collection Dat Khach) in Gowanus: An International Online Journal of Idea and Observation, (Spring 1998).

The story is available here.

“The Black Horse” (story translated by Ly Lan and Kevin Bowen from “Ngua O” in the collection Chiem Bao Thay Nui), The Massachusetts Review 39:3 (Autumn 1998): 333-339.

“The Ghost” (story translated by Ly Lan and Kevin Bowen from “Con Ma” in the collection Truyen), Manoa 11:2 (1999).

The story is available here.

“Sister Hanh” (story translated by Ly Lan from “Chi ay lay chong chua” in the collection Dat Khach) Gowanus: An International Online Journal of Idea and Observation (Winter 1999).

The story is available here.

“Sister Hanh,” reprinted in The Best of Gowanus: New Writing from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, ed. Thomas J. Hubschman, Gowanus Books, Brooklyn, 2001.

“ Grand Canyon” (story translated by Ly Lan from “Duong len Dai Vuc” in the collection Di Mong), The Seattle Review 25:1 (2002): 57-61.

“Accident” (story translated by Lily Chiu and Nguyen Thi Nga from “Tai nan” in the collection Di Mong), Michigan Quarterly Review XLIV: 1 (Winter 2005): 19-26.

The story is available at the Viet Nam Literature Project, here.

Poetry in English

“Sleepwalker,” “Museum in New York,” “Little Saigon,” and “Woman Writers” (poems; trans. Joe Duemer), in Poetry International 5 (2001).

“Museum in New York” is from “Trong Vien Bao Tang New York”, “Little Saigon” is from “Little Saigon”, and “Woman Writers” is from “Nguoi Dan Ba Viet Van”, all in Tho: Ly Lan, Luu Thi Luong, Thanh Nguyen, NXB Van Nghe, TpHCM, 1999 (Poems: Ly Lan, Luu Thi Luong, Thanh Nguyen, Literature and the Arts Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City): 28-33. “Sleepwalker” is from “Mong Du” at the La Minh website, here.

Essays in English

“Ho Xuan Huong Goes to the U.S.”, Vietnam Cultural Window No. 37 (April 2001): 10-11.

“Self-Representation in Poetry by Vietnamese American Women Writers”, M.A. thesis, English, Wake Forest University, May 2003.

Interview in English

“ A Conversation with Ly Lan”, with Lily Chiu in November 2005, is at the Viet Nam Literature Project website, here.

Omnibus in Vietnamese

Mot Goc Pho Tau (truyen va ky), Vuong Tri Nhan tuyen chon va gioi thieu, NXB Van Hoc, Ha Noi, 2001 (A Corner of China Town (stories and accounts), selected with an introduction by Vuong Tri Nhan, Literature Publishing House).

Includes prose selected from Chiem Bao Tay Nui; Truyen: Ly Lan, Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, Nguyen Hai Chi; Dat Khach; Sai Gon Cho Lon Rong Choi; Di Mong; Dam Duong Lang Thang; and Qua Chen. 

Fiction in Vietnamese

 Co Hat, NXB Tac Pham Moi, Ha Noi, 1983 (Singing Grass, collection of short stories, New Works Publishing House).

The title story, ‘Singing Grass’ won Best Short Story Award when first published in Van Nghe Tp Ho Chi Minh (Literature and the Arts Ho Chi Minh City) in 1981.

 Noi Binh yen Chim Hot, NXB Ca Mau, Ca Mau, 1986 ( A Peaceful Place for Birds Singing, novel, Ca Mau Publishing House).

 Chut Lang Man trong Mua , NXB Tre, TpHCM, 1987 (A Bit of Romance in Rain, collection of short stories, Youth Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

 Chiem Bao Thay Nui, NXB Tre, TpHCM, 1991 (Seeing Mountain in Dreams, collection of short stories, Youth Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

 Truyen: Ly Lan, Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc, Nguyen Hai Chi, NXB Van Nghe, TpHCM, 1992 (Stories, anthology of three authors, Literature and the Arts Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

 Chan Dung, NXB Van Hoa, Ha Noi, 1994 (Portraits, biographical novel, Culture Publishing House).

Dat Khach, NXB Van Nghe, TpHCM, 1995 (Strangers’ Land, short stories, Literature and the Arts Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

 Le Mai, NXB Van Nghe, TpHCM, 1997 (Le Mai, novel, Literature and the Arts Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

 Di Mong, NXB Tre, TpHCM, 1999 (Different Dreams, collection of short stories, Youth Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

Qua Chen , NXB Van Nghe TpHCM, 2000 (One Drink Too Many, collection of short stories, Literature and the Arts Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

 Bon Cay But Nu, NXB Van Hoc, Ha Noi, 2002 (Four Women Writers, anthology of short stories, Literature Publishing House).

Nguoi Dan Ba Ke Chuyen, NXB Van Nghe, TpHCM, 2006 (A Woman Tells Stories, collection of short stories, Literature and the Arts Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City). 

Poetry in Vietnamese

Tho: Ly Lan, Luu Thi Luong, Thanh Nguyen , NXB Van Nghe, TpHCM, 1999 (Poems, anthology of three authors, Literature and the Arts Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

Quan Ban, NXB Tre, TpHCMC, 2001 (Friendship Inn, selected poems, Youth Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

La Minh, NXB Van Nghe, TpHCM, 2005 ([incomplete phrase of “to be” and “self”], poems, Literature and the Arts Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

Dozens of poems by Ly Lan, with photos and related links posted from December 2005 on, are available here. 

Essays in Vietnamese

Sai Gon Cho Lon Rong Choi, NXB Van Nghe, TpHCM, 1999 (Wandering through Sai Gon Cho Lon, personal essays, Literature and the Arts Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

Dam Duong Lang Thang, NXB Van Nghe, TpHCM, 1999 (Miles for Roaming, travelogue, Literature and the Arts Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

Khi Nha Van Khoc, NXB Van Nghe, TpHCM, 1999 (When a Writer Cries, essays and criticism, Literature and the Arts Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

For Children in Vietnamese

Ngoi Nha Trong Co, NXB Kim Dong Publishing House, Ha Noi, 1984 (A Home in Grass, stories for children, Pioneer Publishing House).

Awarded the Best Book for Children, and republished in 2002.

Hoi Long Den, NXB Kim Dong, Ha Noi, 1991 (Lanterns Festival, stories for children, Pioneer Publishing House).

Nhung Nguoi Lon, NXB Kim Dong, Ha Noi, 1992 (The Grown-ups, stories for children, Pioneer Publishing House).

Mua Chuon Chuon, NXB Kim Dong, Ha Noi, 1993 (Dragonfly Rain, story for children, Pioneer Publishing House).

Bi Mat Cua Toi va Than Lan Den, NXB Tre, TpHCM, 1996 (The Secret between Me and the Black Lizard, story for children, Youth Publishing House, Ho Chi Minh City).

Ba Nguoi va Ba Con Vat, NXB Kim Dong, Ha Noi, 2002 (Three Kids And Three Pets, stories for children, Pioneer Publishing House).

Screenplays in Vietnamese

Noi Binh yen Chim Hot, Giai Phong, TpHCM, 1987 (A Peaceful Place for Birds Singing, feature produced by Liberation Film Company, Ho Chi Minh City).

Dat Khach, HTV, TpHCM, 2000 (Strangers’ Land, five-episode feature produced in 2000 by the Feature Section of Ho Chi Minh City Television).

Journalism in Vietnamese

Ly Lan has published hundreds of articles on various themes, as well as fiction and poetry, in newspapers and magazines since 1978 such as Van Nghe Tp Ho Chi Minh (Literature and the Arts Ho Chi Minh City), Tuoi Tre (Youth), Thanh Nien (Young People), Sai Gon Giai Phong (Saigon Liberation), Nguoi Lao Dong (Worker), Lao Dong (Labor Party), Van Hoa –The Thao (Culture & Sports), Yeu Tre (Loving Children Magazine), Tia Sang (Sunshine), Sai Gon Tiep Thi (Saigon Marketing Magazine), Phu Nu Tp Ho Chi Minh (Ho Chi Minh City Woman), and others. 

Harry Potter Translations

Ly Lan has translated the six Harry Potter books of J.K. Rowling for the children of Viet Nam, beginning in 2000 when four books had already appeared in English. The first five books appeared in short, cheap instalments, with each book subsequently collected in one volume. The sixth book appeared only as a single volume.

For details, please see Greg Pringle’s bibliography of Ly Lan’s Harry Potter translations, "Harry Potter in Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese: Publication Details", here.

Please also see the Associated Press article, “‘Harry Potter’ Fever Sweeps Through Vietnam”, December 15, 2000, which draws on an interview with Ly Lan. Versions of the wire-service article appear at many locations on the Web.

Most interviews with Ly Lan touch on her work translating the popular series. See, for example,

“Ly Lan: 'Toi tin cu Dumbledore tro lai trong tap 7’” by Anh Van (“Ly Lan: I think old Dumbledore will come back in volume 7”) Viet Nam Express: Tin Nhanh Viet Nam, Thu nam, 6/10/2005, 10:19 GMT+7, here.

Interviews in Vietnamese

Here are some recent interviews which focus on the author herself rather than on her translations of Harry Potter.

"Nha van Ly Lan da tim thay y trung nhan” VN Express, August 10, 2002 (“Author Ly Lan has Found Mr. Right”).

The interview, with a wedding photo of Ly Lan with her husband Mart Stewart, reprinted from Lao Dong (Labor) is available here.

"Nha van Ly Lan luon co gang hoc hoi” VN Express, October 16, 2002 (“Author Ly Lan Always Tries to Have an Open Mind”).

The interview, reprinted from Thanh Nhien (Youth), is available here.

"Dich gia Ly Lan: Hanh phuc nhat la duoc tro ve nha” VN Express, November 25, 2003 (“Translator Ly Lan: Happiness is to Come Home”).

The interview, with windswept photo in sunglasses at the beach, reprinted from Nguoi Dep (Beauty) is available here.

“Ly Lan: “Toi nghi minh la nguoi co mot tam long” by Thanh Van, Evan, December 26, 2005 (“Ly Lan: I think that I am a person with a heart”).

The interview is available here.

"Nha van Ly Lan: Toi la minh!" Nguoi Lao Dong, January 15, 2006 (“Author Ly Lan: I am myself!” in The Worker).

The interview, with photo, is available here.

Nha van Ly Lan: “Mong co nguoi ru di mien Tay,” Bao Can Tho (Can Tho News), February 05, 2006 (Author Ly Lan: Hope to visit the Mekong Delta”

The interview, with photo, is available here.

Criticism in Vietnamese of Ly Lan’s prose

“Mach Song Tu Nhien (Mot vai cam nghi ve van xuoi Ly Lan)”, Vuong Tri Nhan, (“Pulse of Natural Life (Some Thoughts on the Prose of Ly Lan)” by Vuong Tri Nhan) in: Mot Goc Pho Tau (truyen va ky), Vuong Tri Nhan tuyen chon va gioi thieu NXB Van Hoc, Ha Noi, 2001 (A Corner of China Town (stories and accounts)), selected with an introduction by Vuong Tri Nhan, Literature Publishing House): 5-16, bibliography 17-18.

Criticism in Vietnamese of Ly Lan’s poetry

“La Minh,” Evan, December 23, 2005 (Review of the book of poems La Minh).

The review is available here.

 

Acknowledgements

Lily Chiu prepared this bibliography from her personal collection, from Vuong Tri Nhan’s previous bibliography in Mot Goc Pho Tau, and from Ly Lan’s cv. Dan Duffy edited it and added information. Ly Lan reviewed and corrected the work. Thanks to Greg Pringle for his bibliography of Harry Potter translations.