VŨ ĐÌNH GIANG is a Vietnamese novelist. He was born in Tiền Giang Province, and graduated with a Bachelor of Graphic Design from the Faculty of Industrial Fine Arts at Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture. In 2000, he won the Fourth Prize in the second installment of the Literature in its 20s (Văn Học Tuổi 20) contest. He currently lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City. Giang’s debut novel, Song Song (Parallel), was first published in 2007 and republished in 2011. It is widely regarded as one of the best works of gay fiction in the Vietnamese language.

VŨ TRỌNG PHỤNG (1912-1939) was a renowned Vietnamese writer and journalist, regarded as one of the most influential figures in twentieth century Vietnamese literature. In his short lifespan of 27 years, Vũ Trọng Phụng left an astonishing body of works across genres, from short story and novel to play and journalism. His writings are known for their bold and uncompromising portrayal of Vietnamese society under French colonial rule and for addressing taboo topics such as sexuality and sex work. Accused of ‘cultural damage’ due to the sexual content in his writings, he faced legal action, and his works were banned in the north of Vietnam, then nationally until the late 1980s.