Proclamation
of the Committee to Promote the Founding
of the League of Independent Vietnamese Writers

After 1975, the end of a hundred-year history of war, our country was in need of a substantial cultural renaissance. Unluckily, this grave and urgent rebirth did not happen as expected. On the contrary, Vietnamese culture has evolved from bad to worse, and appears to be in danger of losing the most basic humanistic values. This shortcoming threatens the survival of our nation.

Vietnamese writers must admit that they are partly responsible for this state of affairs. Among literature’s many important functions is to awaken the conscience and to raise the morale of the nation. At this great turning point of history, Vietnamese literature is not realising its true role.

The weakness of Vietnamese literature is rooted in the indifference of its writers to their social responsibilities, their insensitivity concerning daily events, and, most importantly, their lack of independent thinking, which has also limited their creative capabilities.

In a society like ours, where basic freedoms have been severely limited, it is difficult for writers to speak clearly and forcefully about the conditions of life in society. This limitation blurs and confuses expression; ultimately, it extinguishes art entirely. The freedom to create and publish literary works is a life-or-death necessity, not only for writers as individuals but also for the health of Vietnamese literature. Without minimal rights to free expression, our literary lives will never be adequate.

Literary institutions ruled by bureaucracy and mendacity suffocate the literature they presume to support. They also suppress healthy communication between writers and their ability to offer mutual assistance, both in their private lives and their artistic production.

In response to this longstanding but urgent situation, we, the undersigned writers, resolve to organise a committee for the founding of an independent institution of Vietnamese writers, both inside and outside the country. To be called The League of Independent Vietnamese Writers, this new institution seeks to promote a true, humanistic, and democratic literature, modern and responsive to globalisation. As demanded by history, we must act as pioneers in the creation of a national cultural renaissance.

Activities of The League of Independent Vietnamese Writers will focus on following:

• To improve solidarity and assistance among writers inside and outside the country;

• To bring forth conditions for professional amelioration, to advance and promote individual creation, and to encourage innovation in creative writing as well as literary criticism and linguistic studies;

• To defend all legitimate material and spiritual interests of its members, especially the freedom to write and publish, as well as the promotions of easy and complete access to literature by the reading public.

• The League of Independent Vietnamese Writers is an organisation belonging to civil society. Dedicated to professional solidarity, it is completely independent of any other organisations existing inside and outside the country.

The detailed statutes and programme of the League will be set up and made public in the process of establishing of the league. Our email is: nhavandoclap@gmail.com

Hà Nội, March 3rd, 2014

On behalf of the Promotion Committee

Nguyên Ngọc

The Committee to Promote

THE LEAGUE OF INDEPENDENT VIETNAMESE WRITERS

1. Nguyên Ngọc – writer (Chief of the Committee)

2. Bùi Chát – poet

3. Bùi Minh Quốc – poet

4. Bùi Ngọc Tấn – writer

5. Chân Phương – poet, translator (USA)

6. Châu Diên – writer, translator

7. Dạ Ngân – writer

8. Dư Thị Hoàn – poet

9. Dương Thuấn – poet

10. Dương Tường – poet, translator

11. Đặng Tiến – literary critic and researcher (France)

12. Đặng Văn Sinh – writer

13. Đoàn Lê – writer

14. Đoàn Thị Tảo – poet

15. Đỗ Lai Thúy – literary critic and researcher

16. Đỗ Trung Quân – poet

17. Giáng Vân – poet

18. Hà Sĩ Phu – writer

19. Hiền Phương – writer

20. Hoàng Dũng – linguist

21. Hoàng Hưng – poet, translator

22. Hoàng Minh Tường – writer

23. Lê Hoài Nguyên – poet

24. Lê Minh Hà – writer (Germany)

25. Lê Phú Khải – writer

26. Lưu Trọng Văn – writer

27. Mai Sơn – writer, translator

28. Mai Thái Lĩnh – philosophy and culture researcher

29. Nam Dao – writer (Canada)

30. Ngô Thị Kim Cúc – writer

31. Nguyễn Bá Chung – poet (USA)

32. Nguyễn Duy – poet

33. Nguyễn Đức Dương – linguist

34. Nguyễn Đức Tùng – poet, literary critic (Canada)

35. Nguyễn Huệ Chi – literature researcher

36. Nguyễn Quang Lập – writer

37. Nguyễn Quang Thân – writer

38. Nguyễn Quốc Thái – poet

39. Nguyễn Thị Hoàng Bắc – poet (USA)

40. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Bình – writer (USA)

41. Phạm Đình Trọng – writer

42. Phạm Nguyên Trường – translator

43. Phạm Vĩnh Cư – literature researcher, translator

44. Phạm Xuân Nguyên – literary critic and translator

45. Phan Đắc Lữ – poet

46. Phan Tấn Hải – writer (USA)

47. Quốc Trọng – screenplay writer

48. Thùy Linh – writer

49. Tiêu Dao Bảo Cự – writer

50. Trang Hạ – writer, translator

51. Trần Đồng Minh – literature researcher

52. Trần Huy Quang – writer

53. Trần Kỳ Trung – writer

54. Trần Thùy Mai – writer

55. Trịnh Hoài Giang – poet

56. Trương Anh Thụy – writer (USA)

57. Võ Thị Hảo – writer

58. Vũ Biện Điền – writer (Japan)

59. Vũ Thế Khôi – literature researcher, translator

60. Vũ Thư Hiên – writer (France)

61. Ý Nhi – poet