artLIVE – On the occasion of French writer Camille Laurens’ visit to Vietnam, the French Institute in Vietnam collaborated with the Vietnam Women’s Publishing House to organize a series of talks and literary exchanges in Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Camille Laurens – A brilliant voice of french literature
The programs took place from October 18 to 25, 2025, opening a dialogue between contemporary French literature and Vietnamese readers, while honoring the voices of women in the arts.
Holding a master’s degree in modern literature, Camille Laurens has taught in Normandy and Morocco, and is regarded as one of the most refined and profound voices in contemporary French letters.
With sharp intellect, emotional depth, and psychological insight, her writing illuminates the hidden corners of the human soul, where pain, desire, and the search for identity intertwine.
Her novel “Dans ces bras-là” (In His Arms, 2000) earned her the Prix Femina and the Renaudot des Lycéens, two of France’s most prestigious literary awards. Since 2020, she has been a member of the Goncourt Academy, the highly respected and influential institution of French literature.
Her works have been translated into more than 30 languages. In Vietnam, readers are familiar with titles such as “In His Arms”, “The Emotional Song”, and “Daughter”, all published by the Vietnam Women’s Publishing House.
During this visit, Laurens introduced her latest novel, “Un baiser, rien de plus” (The Broken Promise), continuing her exploration of humanity and feminism — two themes that have consistently defined her literary journey.
In Ho Chi Minh City, the talk “Women, Gender and Literature” took place on the evening of October 23, 2025, featuring Laurens alongside Vietnamese scholars. The event was co-organized by the Vietnam Women’s Publishing House, French Institute in Vietnam, and the Faculty of Literature, University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Vietnam National University HCMC, with support from Vietnam Airlines.
In the discussion, Laurens not only spoke about women in literature but also raised profound questions about power, identity, and freedom. Her works “Daughter” and “The Broken Promise” reflect her persistent efforts to dismantle gender stereotypes rooted in society and expose the invisible structures that constrain women’s voices.
Laurens stated: “Gender is not merely a biological attribute, but a social and cultural reality, something we must recognize and reflect upon.”
Echoes of freedom in Camille Laurens’s writing
Continuing the series of events, a literary exchange with Camille Laurens took place on the morning of October 24, 2025, at the Vietnam Women’s Publishing House branch (16 Alexandre de Rhodes, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City).
The event included simultaneous French–Vietnamese interpretation, featuring Dr. Ha Thanh Van and Ms. Ngo Thi Hong Anh, Head Librarian of Wellspring International Bilingual School Saigon.
Here, Laurens shared insights about her creative journey, artistic vision, and recurring themes throughout her literary career — love, society and feminism.
She began with “The Broken Promise”, a novel she described as “a reflection of myself” through the character Claire — a woman constantly searching for happiness, believing in it, only to lose it again.
“Perhaps literature is born from these contradictions — the journey toward light through the dark corners of the soul” Laurens shared.
When asked why she remains devoted to writing, Laurens recalled her student years, when French women still faced many social prejudices. Only in literature, she said, did she find a world of freedom — where thought could find its voice, and emotions could exist without restraint.
“Freedom is not only the right to act, but also the right to speak — to express what one truly feels. In the past, women were often told, ‘That’s not something you can say.’ But daring to speak is the first step toward freedom” she said.
Her words silenced the room, resonating deeply with listeners. For Laurens, writing is an act of liberation — a way to resist societal boundaries through language, allowing women to stand up and be heard.
During the talk, Dr. Ha Thanh Van remarked: “I believe books lead us to freedom. One may live a whole life without reading, but those who read literature live more meaningfully.” She described The Broken Promise as “a stepping stone in Laurens’s creative journey, where she reveals maturity, experience, and profound human insight.”
The event concluded in a warm, emotional atmosphere. As the audience read an excerpt from The Broken Promise together, the room erupted in applause — a heartfelt tribute to Camille Laurens, who brought not only stirring prose to Vietnamese readers but also lessons on freedom, truth, and the enduring power of words.
Photos: Institut français du Vietnam
