March 17, 2025 – (Santa Ana, CA) – The Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA) proudly presents Viet Book Fest 2025, an all-day literary event celebrating Vietnamese diasporic voices in literature, culture, and storytelling. This year’s festival will take place on Sunday, April 6, 2025, at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. Admission is free and open to the public. RSVP: https://bit.ly/VietBookFest2025
Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with acclaimed authors, participate in insightful panel discussions, and enjoy interactive programming for all ages. The festival will feature a new program: Storytime Adventures: Celebrating Vietnamese Tales & Imagination, an interactive session where families and children can experience cherished Vietnamese stories brought to life through storytelling and activities. Additionally, the festival will showcase an excerpt from “Remembering Saigon: Journeys through and from Guam,” an exhibition curated by the UC Irvine Southeast Asian Archive in collaboration with the UCLA Asian American Studies Department.
Viet Book Fest will also include author meet-and-greets and book signings, as well as a dedicated section to purchase books with the return of our official bookseller, LibroMobile and our Vietnamese book seller, Tự Lực Bookstore.
Viet Book Fest 2025 – Schedule & Panel Highlights
50 Years of Storytelling: The Evolution of Vietnamese American Voices in Literature (10:30 AM – 11:40 AM)
For 50 years, Vietnamese American literature has evolved from stories of war and displacement to rich, multifaceted narratives of identity, belonging, and reinvention. Joining our panel is Viet Thanh Nguyen, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Sympathizer—a New York Times bestseller now adapted into an HBO TV series, Andrew Lam, an award-winning journalist and author of Perfume Dreams, East Eats West, and Birds of Paradise Lost, Lan Cao, a legal scholar and author of Monkey Bridge, The Lotus and the Storm, and Family in Six Tones. Discover how Vietnamese American authors have reshaped literature, capturing the complexities of history, memory, and the immigrant experience while inspiring generations of readers and writers. The panel will be moderated by Thuy Vo-Dang, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Information Studies & Asian American Studies at UCLA.
Storytime Adventures: Celebrating Vietnamese Tales & Imagination
(11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, John M. Lee Court)
Put on your áo dài and step into a world of storytelling as we celebrate Vietnamese culture and imagination! This interactive session brings cherished Vietnamese stories to life through storytelling and fun activities for families and children of all ages. Joining us for this vibrant experience are the Miss Vietnam of Southern California 2025 Royal Court and celebrity fashion designer Thai Nguyen, co-host of Netflix’s Say I Do and author of Mai’s Áo Dài. The host of the children’s storytime will be Jennifer Trần (Cô Phở) – Co-Founder of Mommy & Me Vietnamese, and there will be a book signing/meet and greet after the programming. Free Children’s activities presented by the Vietnamese American High School Alliance (VAHSA) will happen in the John Lee Court. This programming is co-presented by Viet Rainbow of Orange County (VROC). Áo dài and cultural attire are highly encouraged!
The Path to Publication (1:00 PM – 2:40 PM)
The journey to publication is filled with challenges, especially for Vietnamese diaspora writers bringing their unique stories to the world. Joining our panel will be Carolyn Huynh, author of The Family Recipe and The Fortune of the Jaded Women, Chef Tu David Phu, a San Francisco Chronicle Rising Star and Top Chef alum, is the author of The Memory of Taste, and Vinh Nguyen, University of Waterloo professor and author of The Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse.Whether you’re an aspiring writer or a literary enthusiast, join us for an inspiring conversation on amplifying Vietnamese voices in publishing. The panel will be moderated by Anh Do, Deputy Editor for Culture and Talent, Los Angeles Times.
Hướng Đi Của Văn Chương và Sách Báo Việt Hải Ngoại (Trends of Vietnamese Literature and Publishing in the Diaspora) (3:00 PM – 4:10 PM)
How has Vietnamese literature and publishing evolved in the diaspora, and what does the future hold? This panel explores the journey of Vietnamese-language books, newspapers, and literary works outside of Vietnam, examining the challenges of preservation, readership, and adaptation in new cultural landscapes. Joining this panel will be Cung Tích Biền, author of Bạch Hóa (Transparency) and Xứ Động Vật (The Country of Animals), Đặng Thơ Thơ, author of Ai and Beyond Borders- Stories from The Vietnamese Diaspora, Trịnh Y Thư, composer and author of Đường Về Thủy Phủ (Road to Thủy Phủ), and Kalynh Ngô, translator of My Vietnam, Your Vietnam – Việt Nam Của Con, Việt Nam Của Cha. Join us for an insightful conversation on the past, present, and future of Vietnamese diasporic storytelling.The panel will be moderated by VAALA Executive Director Ysa Le.
Featured Exhibition: “Remembering Saigon: Journeys through and from Guam”
In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, Viet Book Fest 2025 will feature an excerpt from the exhibition “Remembering Saigon: Journeys through and from Guam.” This exhibit, curated by the UC Irvine Southeast Asian Archive in collaboration with the UCLA Asian American Studies Department, explores the intertwined histories of Vietnamese refugees, CHamorus, and non-native Guamanians during and after the Vietnam War.
Join Us at Viet Book Fest 2025!
For more information, visit https://vaala.org/ or contact info@vaala.org.
Follow us on social media for updates:
Instagram & Facebook: @vaalacommunity
Viet Book Fest is made possible by the Stop The Hate Program Funding.
About Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association: VAALA was founded in 1991 by a group of Vietnamese American journalists, artists, and friends to fill a void in the community and provide a space for newly resettled immigrant artists to express themselves. VAALA’s mission is to connect and enrich communities through Vietnamese art and culture. Historically run entirely by volunteers, VAALA is a community-based non-profit organization. Over the years, VAALA has collaborated with diverse community partners to organize numerous cultural and artistic events. VAALA’s four core programs include the annual Viet Film Fest and Viet Book Fest, the Gallery Beyond Walls program featuring art exhibitions, and free art and film workshops for youth, such as Youth in Motion: A Filmmaking Workshop for Emerging Filmmakers.
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