On June 9, in Hanoi, the Vietnam Education Publishing House (NXBGDVN) in coordination with the Vietnam Writers' Association officially launched the writing contest "Books and Schools" nationwide, towards celebrating the 70th anniversary of the NXBGDVN in 2027.
The contest is for all Vietnamese citizens at home and abroad, regardless of age, occupation or place of residence. Entries focus on reflecting the image of Vietnamese schools in memory, present and future; stories about teachers, students, parents, education books makers; reading culture, learning aspirations, educational innovation, digital transformation and good human values.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, poet Nguyen Tien Thanh - Chairman of the Member Council, General Director of NXBGDVN - said that the contest is an opportunity to find beautiful memories of books and schools - values that have nurtured the souls and personalities of many generations of Vietnamese people.
We are not looking for stereotypes. We are looking for truthful voices. The most important thing is not to write about something truly great, but to write with sincerity" - he emphasized.
According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Thanh, after 70 years of accompanying the country's education cause, NXBGDVN not only performs the task of publishing books but also wishes to contribute to building a reading culture, encouraging learning, encouraging talent and nurturing a lifelong learning spirit in society. The contest is an opportunity to listen to touching stories about teachers, students and the pages of books that have made each person's memory.
At the ceremony, poet Nguyen Quang Thieu said that the contest is not simply aimed at finding new writers for Vietnamese literature, but more deeply, using literature to discover the beauty still hidden in schools, in the souls of teachers and students today.
When talking about the beauty of the school today, we are also talking about the future of the country" - poet Nguyen Quang Thieu shared.
The Organizing Committee encourages works with new discoveries, creative writing styles, rich in emotions, reflecting school life in all regions from urban, rural, mountainous, and island areas to the Vietnamese community abroad.
The works need to promote the values of truth - goodness - beauty, the spirit of compassion, honesty, creativity, responsibility and integration. The contest accepts entries from June 9, 2026 to 5:00 PM on April 30, 2027. Authors can participate in three categories including short stories, poems and essays. Excellent works will not only be awarded prizes but also have the opportunity to be selected, edited and published into books.
In particular, the Organizing Committee plans to organize two writing camps in the North and South to support authors in completing manuscripts, creating a space for writing exchange and spreading creative inspiration about education.
The special highlight of the contest is the Special Prize worth 100 million VND for truly outstanding works or groups of works belonging to one of the three categories of short stories, poems and essays. This is considered one of the high prizes for a writing contest on education, reading culture and schools today.
In addition, the Organizing Committee awarded 3 First Prizes, each prize worth 50 million VND, including: First Prize for short stories, First Prize for poetry and First Prize for essays, along with many Second Prizes, Third Prizes, Consolation Prizes and other thematic prizes.
