Writer Nguyen Chi Trung (second from left) at the awards ceremony

(VOVworld)-Vietnamese writer Nguyen Chi Trung has won the 2011 Southeast Asian Writers Award. Trung was honored for his novel “Tieng khoc cua nang Ut” (The Cry of Ms Ut). Seven other winners of the same award were from Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. Speaking at the awards ceremony in Thailand, the Vietnamese writer stressed that literary works vividly reflect national spirit and cultural identity, and help bring nations closer together. “The prestigious distinction awarded by the Thai King and Queen presents the spirit of peace and friendship between ASEAN countries. It also recognizes Vietnamese literature in ASEAN’s development process”, he added.  Since 1979, the awards ceremony has been held annually by the Thai Royal family to honor contemporary poets and writers in Southeast Asian countries.