A total of 34 prizes were presented to authors, including four A Prizes, six B Prizes, twelve C Prizes, and twelve Consolation Prizes, concluding the fifth national writing contest on the theme “For National Security and Peaceful Life” at the awards ceremony on November 11 in Hanoi.
Organized by the Ministry of Public Security and the Vietnam Writers’ Association, the contest ran from 2022 to 2025.
Launched on December 1, 2022, it marked major milestones: the 80th anniversary of the People’s Public Security Forces, the 20th anniversary of the National Day for Homeland Security, and the upcoming 14th National Party Congress.
Senior Lieutenant General Tran Quoc To, Member of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Minister of Public Security, and Writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association, present the A prize to the authors.
Over three years, the organizers received 140 submissions, with 47 works reaching the final round. Many were praised for their authenticity and multi-dimensional portrayal of public security officers and their daily challenges.
In the novel category, A Prizes went to Facing by Pham Quang Long, Afternoon through the Town by Nguyen Thu Hang, and The Wind Still Blows Through the Tropical Forest by Duong Binh Nguyen. Green Grass, Steel Lives by Tong Phuoc Bao won the A Prize for short stories and reportage.
Major General Do Trieu Phong, Party Secretary and Director of the Public Security Communications Department, and Colonel Nguyen Binh Phuong, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association and Editor-in-Chief of the Military Literature Magazine, present the B prize to the authors.
Writer Pham Quang Long shared that he writes not out of obligation, but for the people whose lives have touched his own, those who protect others’ peace, sometimes at the cost of their own.
Major General and writer Pham Khai, Editor-in-Chief of Public Security Newspaper, and Colonel Tran Cao Kieu, Deputy Director of the People's Public Security Communications Department, Head of the Standing Committee of the contest, present the C Prize to the authors.
The contest’s works, the jury noted, vividly captured real struggles against crime, quiet acts of sacrifice, and the emotional depth of those who serve.
Writer Nguyen Binh Phuong, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association and Chairman of the Final Round Council, noted the contest’s strong overall quality, especially in the novel category, with many works approaching the vividness of real life.
Translated by DO HUONG
VNQD