The French cultural influence through selected works published in Vietnam

The French language is renowned as one of the most romantic languages in the world, also known as the language of love. It has become an essential aspect of French culture due to its sophistication, elegance, and aesthetic qualities.

The seminar "The French Cultural Influence through Selected Works Published in Vietnam" will provide an overview and evaluation of the impact of French culture through literary and sociological works published in Vietnam in the French language. Some notable works include "Confessions" (author: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, translator: Lê Hồng Sâm), "Nephew of Rameau" (author: Denis Diderot, translator: Phùng Văn Tửu), and "The Rules of Art" (author: Pierre Bourdieu, translators: Phùng Ngọc Kiên, Nguyễn Phương Ngọc) published by Tri thức Publishing House in Vietnam in recent years.

Image: Some French books published by Tri Thuc publisher introduced at the seminar

During the panel discussion, Ms. Pham Thi Bich Hong - Director of Tri Thuc Publishing House shared: "Over the past 20 years, we have published nearly 50 books by French authors, including more than 20 works in the Essence of World Knowledge bookshelf. Tri Thuc Publishing House has always shown great interest in expressing the culture and imprint of French culture, and wishes to convey it to Vietnam through the books that have been, are being, and will be published."

Image: Ms. Pham Thi Bich Hong - Director of Tri Thuc Publisher sharing at the panel discussion

Attending the panel discussion were translators, Associate Professor Phung Ngoc Kien, Head of the Foreign Literature Department at the Institute of Literature; translator, Dr. Nguyen Giang Huong, French National Library; Mai Anh Tuan - Lecturer at the University of Culture, Hanoi.

At the panel discussion, there were several topics discussed: reviewing the system of French-language books published by Tri Thuc Publisher, exploring the ways of reading and critiquing literature that French theory has brought to Vietnam through the publications of Tri Thuc Publisher, and examining the cultural imprint of France through translated works published in Vietnam.

Associate Professor Phung Ngoc Kien (Head of the Foreign Literature Department at the Institute of Literature), who has been closely associated with Tri Thuc Publishing House for many years, talked about the field of literary criticism and the influence of French theory through the published works. The panel discussion also provided an opportunity for translators to revisit the names of French authors such as Émile Durkheim, Marcel Mauss, and Michel Foucault.

According to educator Mai Anh Tuan (Hanoi University of Culture), French intellectuals and scientists, at certain stages, have always laid the foundation or at least contributed to the development of their respective scientific fields, making significant breakthroughs. As a reader, Mai Anh Tuan shared his excitement and hesitation when receiving translated books from French because these works are not easy to read and require self-transcendence to access human knowledge.

Translator Dr. Nguyen Giang Huong shared: The French authors selected by Tri Thuc Publishing House are exceptional individuals who represent Western scientific thought. For example, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an Enlightenment philosopher, had a significant influence on the French Revolution in 1789. He also wrote and made important contributions to the romantic movement in French literature. Rousseau's works are widely read and studied due to their profound insights into human nature. "Confessions" marked the beginning of the modern memoir genre and had a significant impact on this trend in Vietnam. "Rameau's Nephew" is a daring experiment by Diderot that continues to explore new content and forms of the novel. It is a "unique masterpiece" according to Marx (1818 - 1883), and a "masterpiece in terms of dialectics" according to Engels' assessment (1820 - 1895).

The European Literature Days 2023 was organized in Hanoi with the participation of 13 European countries. The series of events included book introductions, storytelling sessions, literary discussions, and a book fair.

Tri Thuc Publisher, established in 2005, is affiliated with the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations. Over the years, Tri Thuc Publisher has been a trusted venue for high-quality books in terms of content and form. It offers a variety of bookshelves and serves as a reputable forum and address for scholars, researchers, students, and readers from all around the world.

Tri Thuc Publisher has made its mark through bookshelves such as Tinh Hoa (Essence), Dan Nhap (Introduction), Tri Thuc Moi (New Knowledge), with numerous translated works in French, English, German, Russian, Hungarian, leaving their imprint. Some notable titles include "The Superhuman Love" by V. Soloviev, "The Way of Life" by Leo Tolstoy, "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin, "Tristes Tropiques" by Claude Lévi-Strauss, and "The World as I See It" by Albert Einstein. Particularly, Tri Thuc Publisher is one of the publishers with the highest number of French-language books in Vietnam.