Discussion | Literary Conversations: Voices Behind the Pages

02 pm – 03:30 pm, Sat 10 May 2025
Goethe-Institut Hanoi
58 Nguyễn Thái Học, Ba Đình district, Hanoi
Language: Vietnamese, English and French (with simulteneous translation)
Registration link

From the organizer:

Literature doesn’t exist in a vacuum – behind every great work breathes the life of its creator. To fully understand a text, we need to trace the invisible threads connecting the page to the author’s personal journey, cultural roots, and the landscapes that shaped their vision.

The event “Literary Conversations: Voices Behind the Pages,” featuring literary critics from various generations and cultural backgrounds, will explore these complex dynamics. Through case studies such as Claudio Magris and Georges Perec, the panelists of notable literary critics will discuss the cultural and temporal specifics that have shaped the unique literary identities of the era. Particularly in cases like Claudio Magris, whose literary works transcend a single region or culture to explore stories of movement and exile, the question of the complexity of the author’s identity and literary persona becomes more intriguing than ever. This is especially relevant in today’s context of globalization and multiculturalism.

About the panelists:

Phạm Xuân Nguyên

Mr. Phạm Xuân Nguyên is one of Vietnam’s most respected literary critics. He formerly headed the Comparative Literature Department at the National Institute of Literature and had nearly 35 years of experience in research there before retiring in 2018. From 2010 to 2017, he was Chairman of the Hanoi Writers’ Association.

Besides his work as a critic, Mr. Nguyên is also a renowned translator, working under the pen name Ngân Xuyên. He has translated many significant literary works from French, Russian, and English, including Milan Kundera’s Immortality and Georges Bataille’s Literature and Evil.

Kim Nguyen Baraldi

Kim Nguyen Baraldi is an essayist and literary critic. He holds a degree in Modern Literature and a Master’s in Comparative Literature from the Sorbonne University (Paris), as well as a Master’s in Creative Writing from Pompeu Fabra University (Barcelona).

He is the author of Por qué Georges Perec (La uÑa RoTa, Spain, 2024), with a French translation scheduled for publication in 2026.

His essays have appeared in various cultural and literary journals across Spain and Latin America. He teaches literary workshops and, since 2011, has been editing the literary website Calle del Orco. He currently lives in Barcelona.

Maik Cây

Maik Cây is an independent writer and filmmaker, and a member of the radical art collective Tiếng-Thét (The Scream). They are a seeker of impossible transformations — someone who tries to turn the world inside out, peel back the darkness, or drag boats over mountaintops. They currently live and work in Hanoi.

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