About Major Books
Who we are
Major Books is an independent publishing company dedicated to bringing Vietnamese literature to the English-speaking world.
Our Mission
Our name, Major Books – devised by our brilliant friend Alina Martin – speaks as a clear, bold, and audacious resistance against the “minor” status attributed to certain languages and their literature in the global publishing scene.
Our hope is to contribute, no matter how little, to growing awareness that there are no ‘lesser’ voices in world literature.
Our Ethics
With the acute awareness of translation as an art form bearing immense potentials and challenges, our primary goal is to offer translations that are not only faithful but also true to the essence of the source book. Our translators, editors and illustrators, being mostly native speakers themselves, are committed to preserve the integrity and convey the originality of the author’s work.
We take immense pride in providing our authors, translators, and all stakeholders with fair and equitable compensation for their invaluable contributions, with the hope of fostering a thriving Vietnamese literature and creative ecosystems.
First chapter
Between literary treasures that have been overlooked or worse, poorly translated, and brilliant pieces yet to be written, we will bring a curated selection of works from a variety of authors, periods, and genres. Ranging from critically acclaimed post-war fiction, national epic poetry, to contemporary LGBTQ+ writings, we hope to present a well-rounded portrait of Vietnam and our diverse voices.
Our team and collaborators
We consider a privilege to work with such talented individuals who share the same passion for spreading Vietnamese literature. Should you seek literature specialists, writers, translators, editors or illustrators, do not hesitate to get in touch with them!
Mía
Hoàng Anh is a Vietnamese illustrator working under the name of “Mía”. She focuses on picture book illustrations, in addition to her special interests in landscape painting and illustrated lettering. Whenever possible, she tries to weave different aspects of her Vietnamese identity into her artworks. Hoàng Anh recently received an MA degree in Children’s Literature: Children’s Book Illustration from Goldsmiths, University of London. She wants to pursue a career in children’s literature both as an illustrator and an author.
Portfolio:
https://www.miastudio.art/
Mía
Illustrator
Hoàng Anh is a Vietnamese illustrator working under the name...
Dương Mạnh Hùng
Dương Mạnh Hùng is an independent art translator & writer. His practice weaves textual intricacy with visual subtlety to deliver responses and raise questions. Hùng’s interest in the dynamics between literature, visual arts, and translation is informed by their close observation of global and Southeast Asian socio-political and ecological histories. Hung has contributed exhibition reviews, interviews, and essays on Vietnam and Southeast Asia for multiple contemporary art platforms, including artforum, ArtAsiaPacific, and Art & Market (Singapore).
Personal website: https://linktr.ee/hmduong
Major Books Works:
Dương Mạnh Hùng
Editor
Dương Mạnh Hùng is an independent art translator & writer....
Alina Martin
Alina Martin is a writer and journalist living in London. She has graduate and undergraduate degrees in comparative literature and critical translation form University College London and the University of Oxford.
Major Books Works:
Alina Martin
Editor
Alina Martin is a writer and journalist living in London....
Contact Us
If you you have an interest in helping us provide a more fair representation of minor literature, we would be delighted to hear from you.