Translator Tran Thi Minh Tam (Photo: tienphong.vn)

The award is being presented to Tam for successfully popularizing the reading of Hans Christian Andersen in Vietnam. She is the first Vietnamese person to receive the acolade.

Over the past 20 years, Tam has published a collection of nearly 200 fairytales. The collection has been reissued 16 times and this year it will be republished once again.

Tam has helped to spread Andersen’s stories to Vietnamese readers and inspire those who work in not only literature, but also in other art forms including visual arts, music, and drama.

The annual award is presented in recognition of outstanding achievements in working with Hans Christian Andersen and of contributions to promoting and spreading further knowledge of the Danish national poet in many parts of the world.