Mai Văn Phấn

Born	1955 (age 69–70) Ninh Bình, North Vietnam
Pen name	Mai Văn Phấn
Occupation	Poet, literary critic, translator
Period	1955 – present

Mai Văn Phấn (born 1955) is a Vietnamese poet^[1][2], literary critic, and translator.

Mai Văn Phấn was born in 1955 in Ninh Bình, Red River Delta in North Vietnam.^[3] He joined the army infantry in 1974. Mai Văn Phấn left the army in 1981 and entered Hanoi College of Foreign Languages, Department of Linguistics and Russian culture.^[4] He continued learning in 1983 at Maxim Gorky Pedagogical School, Minsk (capital of the Byelorussian SSR), now Belarus Pedagogical University, named after writer Maksim Tank.^[5]

Currently, he lives in Hải Phòng City. ^[6]

He has published 19 books in Vietnam and 34 books abroad, including poetry collections, books of criticism and essays, and translated books^[2]. Poems of Mai Văn Phấn are translated into more than 40 languages. According to Susan Blanshard, an editor and publishing representative from Addie Press (UK), in Mai Văn Phấn's book 'The Seeds of Night and Day', "his words reveal the cultural values, the spirit, the traditions and customs of the Vietnamese people... the joys and sorrows that his people have experienced".^[2]

• "Giọt nắng" ("Drops of Sunlight". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Hải Phòng Writer's Association, 1992);
• "Gọi xanh" ("Calling to the Blue". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 1995). OCLC 40478732;
• "Cầu nguyện ban mai" ("Prayers to Dawn". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Hải Phòng Publishing House, 1997). OCLC 41016098;
• "Nghi lễ nhận tên" ("Ritual of Naming". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Hải Phòng Publishing House, 1999). OCLC 44499817;
• "Người cùng thời" ("People of the Era" in Vietnamese, Hải Phòng Publishing House, 1999). OCLC 68708655;
• "Vách nước" ("Water Wall". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Hải Phòng Publishing House, 2003). OCLC 53372782;
• "Hôm sau" ("The Day After". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2009). OCLC 1408442919;
• "và đột nhiên gió thổi" ("and Suddenly the Wind Blows". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Literature Publishing House, 2009). OCLC 1408443158;
• "Bầu trời không mái che" (Vietnamese-only version of "Firmament Without Roof Cover". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2010);
• "Thơ tuyển Mai Văn Phấn" (Mai Văn Phấn: Selected Poems - Essays and the Interviews in Vietnamese. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2011). OCLC 957180416;
• "hoa giấu mặt" ("hidden-face Flower". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2012). OCLC 1013803506;
• "Bầu trời không mái che / Firmament Without Roof Cover" (Bilingual poetry book in Vietnamese - English. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2012). OCLC 1013757586;
• "Vừa sinh ra ở đó" ("Just Born There". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2013). OCLC 879288066;
• "A Ciel Ouvert ("Firmament Without Roof Cover". Bilingual poetry book in Vietnamese - French. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2014). OCLC 879286345;
• "The Selected Poems of Mai Văn Phấn" in English (Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2015). ISBN 9786045349496;
• "Thả" ("letting go". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2015). ISBN 9786045351604;
• "Không gian khác" ("Another Dimension". Critiques - Essays in Vietnamese. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2016). ISBN 9786045362600;
• "Thơ chọn lọc" ( Nhà xuất bản Hội nhà văn, 2016). ISBN 9786045379127;
• "Lặng yên cho nước chảy" ("Be Quiet for Water Flowing". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2018). ISBN 9786049609381;
• "Thời tái chế" ("Era of Junk". Poetry book in Vietnamese. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2019). ISBN 9786049838538;
• "Nhịp điệu vẽ lối đi" (Rhythms Compose the Way). Critiques - Essays in Vietnamese. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2024. ISBN 9786043685664;
• "Trong Ơn Gọi" (In Vocation). Critiques - Essays in Vietnamese. Đồng Nai Publishing House and Nước Mặn Bookcase, 2025.

• "Firmament Without Roof Cover" (English version. Page Addie Press, 2012). ISBN 9780980715552;
• "Những hạt giống của đêm và ngày / Seeds of Night and Day" (Bilingual poetry book in Vietnamese - English. Page Addie Press of United Kingdom, 2013). ISBN 9780992296438;
• "Những hạt giống của đêm và ngày / Seeds of Night and Day" (Bilingual poetry book in Vietnamese - English. Nxb. Hội Nhà văn, 2013). ISBN 9786045306017;
• "A Ciel Ouvert ("Firmament Without Roof Cover". Bilingual poetry book in Vietnamese - French. Page Addie Press of United Kingdom; Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2014). ISBN 9780992296490;
• "Buông tay cho trời rạng / Out of the Dark" (Bilingual poetry book in Vietnamese - English. Page Addie Press of United Kingdom; Publishing House of The Vietnam Writer's Association, 2013). ISBN 9780992296452;
• "Ra vườn chùa xem cắt cỏ / Grass Cutting in a Temple Garden"(Bilingual poetry book in Vietnamese - English. Page Addie Pressof United Kingdom Australia, 2014);
• "Zanore në vesë / Vowels in The Dew" (Poetry book in Albanian. Botimet M&B, Albania, 2014);
• "บุษบาซ่อนหน้า / hidden face flower / hoa giấu mặt" (Poetry book in Thai, English and Vietnamese. Artist's House, Thailand, 2015). OCLC 1103325077;
• "Yên Tử Dağının Çiçeği" ("The Flower of Mount Yên Tử". Poetry book in Turkish. Şiirden Yayincilik, Turkey, 2015). ISBN 9786054825448;
• "आलाप प्रतिलाप" ("Echo of the Aalap". Poetry book in Hindi. Publishing House of Kritya, India, 2016);
• "Два крыла / Đôi cánh" ("Two Wings". Bilingual Poetry book in Vietnamese - Russian. "Нонпарелъ" - Publishing House of Moscow, 2016);
• "Варијације у кишнојноћи" ("Variations on a Rainy Night". Poetry book in Serbian. Publisher "Алма, Београд", Republic of Serbia, 2017);
• "Echoes from the Spiral Galaxy" (Poetry book in English. Publisher Mundus Artium Press, USA, 2017). ISBN 9780939378142;
• "Höstens hastighet" ("The Pace of Autumn". Poetry book in Swedish. Publisher "Tranan", Sweden, 2017). ISBN 9789188253217;
• "সত্যের সন্ধানে" (In Search of Truth. Poetry book in Bengali, India). Publisher: Underground Literature, Kolkata, 2018);
• 대양의 쌍둥이 ("Born as Twins in an Ocean". Poetry book in Korean with poet 고형렬 / Ko Hyung-Ryul). Publisher: 시와 표현 (Poetry & Expression) of S. Korea, 2018);
• حيث تتسع السماء ("Where the Sky Is Spacious". Poetry book in Arabic. Alfarasha Publishing House, Kuwait, 2019);
• "Время утиля / Thời tái chế" ("Era of Junk". Bilingual poetry book in Russian - Vietnamese. Publishing House of Voronezh: Центр духовного возрождения Черноземного края, Russia, 2020);
• "Ära des Mülls / Era of Junk" ("Era of Junk". Bilingual poetry book in German - English. Publishing House of Germany: Shaker Media, 2020). ISBN 9783956317729;
• "Қабоҳат даври" ("Age of Ignorance". Poetry book in Uzbek. Publishing House of Uzbekistan: Янги аср авлоди, 2020;
• "Kapanahunan ng Basura" ("Era of Junk"). Poetry book in Filipino. Publishing House: University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing and The Freelipiniana Online Library, 2020;
• "재처리 시대" ("Era of Junk"). Poetry book in Korean. Publishing House: 이도훈 (Dohun), 2020. ISBN 9791189537470;
• "और उड़ चला मन पांखी" ("And Flew Away Heart"). Poetry book in Hindi. Publishing House Notion Press, India, 2020;
• "НОВОГОДИШНО КАПЕЊЕ" ("New Year Bath") of Mai Văn Phấn with "ЗАЧУДЕН БАРУТ" ("Buffled Gunpowder") of Raed Anis Al-Yishi. Poetry book in Macedonian. Publishing House: Center of Culture "Aco Karamanov" Radovish, 2020;
• "लाल आत्माएं" ("The Scarlet Spirits"). Poetry book in Hindi. Publishing House Hind Yugm, India, 2021;
• "Ойнинг туғилган куни" ("The Birthday of the Moon"). Poetry book in Uzbek. Publishing House of Uzbekistan: Arjumand Media, 2021;
• "Улетел на рассвете" ("Fly Away at Dawn"). Poetry book in Russian. Publishing House "Четыре" (Saint Petersburg), 2021;
• "Skrottid" ("Era of Junk"). Poetry book in Swedish. Publisher "Tranan", Sweden, 2022). ISBN 9789189175723;
• "Gün doğarkən" ("At Sunrise". Poetry book in Azerbaijani. Publisher Bakı, Azerbaijan, 2022);
• "Одлетео у свитање" ("Fly Away at Dawn"). Poetry book in Serbian. Publisher "Центар за културу Врачар", Republic of Serbia, 2024;
• "Esto dijo una cabra" ("The Goat's Words"). Poetry book "three lines" in Spanish. Publisher "La Garúa Poesía", Spain, 2024;
• "Esto dijo una cabra" ("The Goat's Words"). Anthology of poems in Spanish. Publisher BUAP (Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla), Mexico, 2024;
• "Where the Lava Flows". Poetry book in English. Publishing House: Independently published, India, 2024.

• "Если в дороге ... дождь ... / Nếu trên đường… mưa…" ("If on the road… rain...). Bilingual poetry book in Russian - Vietnamese by Svetlana Savitskaya, translated from Russian into Vietnamese by Mai Văn Phấn. Publishing House Academy N.E. Zhukovsky, Moscow, 2021). ISBN 9785907490024;
• "Назови имя Бога / Xưng danh Thiên Chúa" ("Say the Name of God"). Bilingual novel in Russian - Vietnamese by Svetlana Savitskaya, translated from Russian into Vietnamese by Mai Văn Phấn. Publishing House Academy N.E. Zhukovsky, Мoscow, 2023. ISBN 9785907699403;
• "Giải mã sự dịu dàng" (Puzzles of Tenderness). Poetry book in Vietnamese by Valentina Novković (Serbia), translated from Russian into Vietnamese by Mai Văn Phấn. Publishing House of The Vietnam Writers' Association, 2024).

Mai Văn Phấn has won many Vietnamese and international literary awards, including:

• "Poetry contest" of Weekly Người Hà Nội in 1994;
• "Poetry contest" of Weekly Văn Nghệ 1995;
• "Literature" of celebrity culture, Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm (Hải Phòng city) in 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995.
• Recipient of the prestigious "Vietnam Writers' Association" Award in 2010;
• The Vietnam Writers' Association Award in 2010;
• The Cikada Literary Prize of Sweden in 2017;^[7]
• The Award of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2019;
• The Literary award from the Association of Literary Translators of Montenegro in 2020;
• The Award Aco Karamanov of North Macedonia in 2020;
• • 1st Prize in The International Creative Meeting and Festival "Together in the XXI Century" in Bulgaria 2020;
• The medal Alisher Navoi of the Union of Writers and Historians of Central Asia in 2021;
• Winner of Sahitto (Bangladesh) International Award for Literature 2021;
• The Award of Newspaper Kitob Dunyosi (Uzbekistan) in 2021;
• The Award of the International Slavic Literary Forum "Golden Knight" 2022;
• The Poetry Collection of the Year Award of the Boao International Poetry Award (China) in 2022 (for the Poetry Collection "Улетел на рассвете");
• The Award of the International Poetry Competition "My heart in the Mountains" named after writer William Saroyan (Armenia) in 2022;
• The Frederick Turner prize of Mundus Artium Press (USA) for Poetry in 2023;
• The Award of the International Literary online Competition "To you, Nesvizh, I dedicate ..." (Belarus) in 2023;^[8]
• Fivetimes won the Golden Pen Literature Award of the Russian Federation in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023;
• Best International Poet and Translator Award 2024, voted by the International Poetry Translation and Research Center of Sichuan Province, China.

In December 2012, the English collection titled "Firmament without Roof Cover"^[9] became one of the 100 best-selling poetry books on Amazon. In June 2014, the three collections in Vietnamese and English titled "Ra vườn chùa xem cắt cỏ" ("Grass Cutting in a Temple Garden") and "Những hạt giống của đêm và ngày / Seeds of Nights and Day" as well as his Vietnamese-French collection titled "Bầu trời không mái che" ("A Ciel Ouvert/ Firmament without Roof Cover") were among the top ten of the 100 best-selling poetry collections from Asia on Amazon.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Mai Văn Phấn.

• "Creation Was A Process of Escape from Personality"
• "Should a poet think of his responsibility or mission upon his poetic creation?"
• "When one has to live, has the right to live and read"
• "Another way leading to the modern Vietnamese Poetry"
• "Poetry will carry the beauty inside the soul of Vietnamese people to humankind"
• Vietnamese poet scales top ten list on Amazon
• The poetry of Mai Văn Phấn expresses the radiance of being human here and now on this earth.
• Gjekë Marinaj sjell ne shqip poetin e e shquar vietnamez Mai Van Phan
• Des pluies de sources
• The Affirmation of Reality in the poetry of Mai Văn Phấn