Vietnamese Translator Acknowledged For Promoting Czech Literature

Vietnamese translator Duong Tat Tu won the Premia Bohemica prize usually awarded to European translators as acknowledgement of his achievements in promotion of Czech literature worldwide. The prize was handed during the 15th Bookworld international book fair in Prague Friday. Duong Tat Tu, who is 73 at the moment, didn’t manage to visit the ceremony due to some health problems, so the award was given to his daughter.

According to his daughter Duong Tat Tu currently has in his mind to publish collections of works created by 19th century Czech writer Bozena Nemcova (1820-1862) and Tomas Garrigue Masaryk (1850-1937), a philosopher and the first president of Czechoslovakia. Duong Tat Tu was the first Vietnamese graduate from Prague’s Charles University in the beginning of 1960s who specialized in Czech language and literature.

His daughter said at the awarding ceremony: "I know how my father loves Czech culture and literature and how he tries to acquaint Vietnamese readers with the beauty of the Czech spirit through his translations." Duong Tat Tu has been translating works of both contemporary Czech writers and poets including Jaroslav Hasek, Jaroslav Seifert and Vitezslav Nezval and classical Czech writers and folk tales.

Duong Tat Tu once visited the Czech Republic in 2004 and had a meeting with Julius Fucik whose book “Notes from the Gallows” he translated in 1955.

Photo: Bookworld in Prague (czechtourism.com)