Soldier's tale wins foreign fiction award
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A NOVEL by a former soldier in the North Vietnamese Army, The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh, is the winner of this year's Independent Award for Foreign Fiction, it was announced yesterday.
The pounds 10,000 prize - divided between Bao Ninh and his translators - was presented by Andreas Whittam Smith, editor of the Independent, during a reception at the Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye. The award is in its fourth year.
The pounds 10,000 prize - divided between Bao Ninh and his translators - was presented by Andreas Whittam Smith, editor of the Independent, during a reception at the Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye. The award is in its fourth year.
The Sorrow of War is a description of the Vietnam war. Bao Ninh was born in Hanoi in 1952 and served with the Glorious 27th Youth Brigade.
Announcing the award, Robert Winder, Literary Editor of the Independent, said: 'The Sorrow of War is both remarkable and historic. Usually, history is the story told by the winners; Bao Ninh's book reminds us that, in war, everybody loses.'
The other books on the shortlist were: The Infinite Plan by Isabel Allende, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden; The Following Story by Cees Nooteboom, translated by Ina Rilke; Fima by Amos Oz, translated by Nicholas de Lange; The Moment Between the Past and the Future, by Grigorij Baklanov, translated by Catherine Porter; The Road to San Giovanni by Italo Calvino, translated by Tim Parks.
The judges were Michele Roberts, Jill Neville, Anthony Lane, Beverly Anderson, Jonathan Keates, Blake Morrison, Penelope Fitzgerald, Michael Wood, Natasha Walter, Trevor McDonald, Doris Lessing and Robert Winder.
The Sorrow of War was translated into French by Vo Bang Thanh and Phan Thanh Hao, with Katerina Pierce. The English version is by Frank Palmos.
The Independent Award is in its fourth year. Previous winners include Milan Kundera, Simon Keys and Jose Saramago.
(Photograph omitted)
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments