Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai: Storytelling, Healing, and the Voices of Vietnam

In this episode, Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai — award-winning author of The Mountains Sing, Dust Child, and The Secret of Hoa Sen — shares how her journey across poetry, fiction, and nonfiction grew out of a deep need to tell the stories Vietnam carries within its history. She discusses the challenges of writing about sensitive subjects, from war trauma to the rarely-told Amerasian experience, and how careful research and compassion guide her storytelling. Quế Mai reflects on the power of translation in reaching global audiences, the way her roles as writer, educator, and advocate reinforce one another, and how literature can support healing and reconciliation across cultures. Speaking at the Sharjah International Book Fair, she offers her message to readers from the Arab world and beyond, along with practical advice for emerging writers from underrepresented communities. She also shares insight into the new territories she is excited to explore in her upcoming work. Listen to #Pulse95Radio in the UAE by tuning in on 95.00 FM or online at www.pulse95radio.net Follow us on social media: @Pulse95Radio #SharjahInternationalBookFair #SIBF2025 #NguyenPhanQueMai #TheMountainsSing #DustChild #VietnameseLiterature #StorytellingAndHealing #Pulse95Radio