The program features translator Nguyen Hong Anh, writer Di Li, and writer Hoang Anh Tu; translator and education researcher Nguyen Quoc Vuong is the coordinator.
Guests attending the program
The next day: Transition, Change, and Moving Forward is a book written by Melinda French Gates during a period of significant change in her life, when an old chapter had ended but a new one was yet to be clearly defined.
The author reflects on the turning points she has experienced, from her college years in a gender-biased environment, becoming a mother, losing a close friend, changes in her married life, to the decision to leave the Gates Foundation.
Through her personal stories, Melinda French Gates reflects on how people cope with times of uncertainty. According to the author, transition is not just the end of a phase, but can also create space for people to embrace new ideas, relationships, and directions.
Sharing insights into the translation process, translator Nguyen Hong Anh focused on how the author recounts her personal experiences and life changes. For the translator, translating is not just about conveying the content, but also about preserving the narrative voice, nuances, and moments of silence in Melinda's reflection on her choices.
The organizers and guests
According to Nguyen Hong Anh, the stories in the book resonate because the transitional phases can occur in anyone's life. This could be a change of job, family, or relationships, or when a person realizes that things that once suited them are no longer suitable.
From a writer's perspective, Di Li discusses the choices women make when facing turning points in their lives. According to her, change often comes with anxiety because people have to leave behind what they are familiar with. But it is also at that moment that each person has the opportunity to reflect on themselves, determine what is truly important, and choose how to move forward.
The speakers also discussed the pressures women often face when simultaneously making decisions related to work, family, and personal life. One issue raised was the importance of allowing oneself to be imperfect, not necessarily needing immediate answers to every question, and taking time to determine what one truly wants.
In the book, Melinda French Gates uses the image of a wave as a metaphor for the changes in life. A wave may dissipate upon reaching the shore, but the water continues to exist in a different form. From this, the author views "tomorrow" not as a complete answer, but as a process of each person accepting the unknown and gradually finding a new direction.
Prior to the networking session, the program included an autumn tea party and an introduction to the Women Entrepreneurs Book Collection of the Vietnam Women's Publishing House.
Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/nha-van-hoang-anh-tu-gia-dinh-nhu-mot-vuon-uom-238261003215438589.htm
