Major Books, a new UK-based independent press, is dedicated to bringing Vietnamese literature –presently underrepresented on bookshelves – to global readers.
The publishing house has just finished its debut project, with a trilogy of books by and about Vietnamese women, spanning three centuries.
As the team’s co-founder Pascal Nguyen points out: “Vietnam is known globally for its textiles, cuisine and tourism. One thing it hasn’t been recognised for – until now – is its literary value.” The publisher’s remit is to change the narrative: “to bring world-class Vietnamese literature into English, and to position Vietnam not just as a war-torn country turned holiday destination – but as a vital creative force in global culture.”
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Major Books seeks to showcase the diversity of Vietnamese stories and to place them on the global literary stage.
Their first three releases are:
Water: A Chronicle by celebrated contemporary author Nguyễn Ngọc Tư – a PEN Translates award-winning novel that interweaves the lives of women, ghost brides and trans figures along the Mekong Delta.
Making a Whore by Vũ Trọng Phụng – originally published in 1936 and banned for decades, this satirical novel dissects the sexual hypocrisy of colonial-era Hanoi. Translated into English for the first time, it’s a portrait of how women are punished for desire and curiosity.
The Tale of Kiều by Nguyễn Du – a new verse translation of Vietnam’s national epic, reclaiming Thúy Kiều not as a passive emblem of suffering, but as a fiercely intelligent woman negotiating love, duty and betrayal with agency.
