Translator Sandra Scagliotti and journalist and writer Hellmut Kapfenberger are among the many foreigners very much interested in exploring President Ho Chi Minh’s life and legacy.

"Ho Chi Minh – Letters for Peace in Viet Nam" and "the Revolutionary Path" are among two books translated from Vietnamese into Italian by Scagliotti and her partners. (Photo: VNA)

Scagliotti, from Italy, has been passionate about Vietnamese and President Ho Chi Minh studies all her life, putting her all into making the late leader’s ideology better known in her country.

She has translated two Vietnamese books into Italian. One of them, in collaboration with Vietnamese translator Tran Doan Trang, was published by Anteo Edizioni Publishing House last year under the name “Ho Chi Minh – Lettre Per Pace in Viet Nam” (Ho Chi Minh – Letters for Peace in Viet Nam) as part of its Banyan/Southeast Asia series.

It features a collection of his letters written during the period from 1945 to 1969, in which the President expressed his wish to cooperate with the Americans and other nationalities throughout the world in fighting for peace in Viet Nam.

It was the first time the book had become available in a European language. The translator said she had tried her best to keep the simple but effective language and the original ideas as well as the “formality and dignity” in every letter he wrote.

The other book, “Duong kach menh” (The Revolutionary Path), was released in Italian in 2018.
Scagliotti’s first book about the Vietnamese leader, titled “Ho Chi Minh – Political Biography,” was launched by Harmattan Italia Publishing House in 2004.

In the coming time, she plans to pursue in-depth studies on Ho Chi Minh and his connections with intellectuals, his view on gender equality and his dedication to Viet Nam, among others.

Hellmut Kapfenberger was a former reporter of AND, the state news agency of the German Democratic Republic. He used to work in Viet Nam for seven years (1970 – 1973 and 1980 – 1984) as a correspondent.

While in Viet Nam, he was very much aware of the Vietnamese’s affection and respect for their beloved leader, which left deep impression on him, he said.

Kapfenberger has written many books about Vietnamese history and President Ho Chi Minh, including “Ho Chi Minh – A Chronicle” released in Berlin in 2009.

“Which surprised me the most was that the book had been translated into Vietnamese right away,” he told Viet Nam News Agency. “I was very proud of this work but not completely satisfied with it. […] So I was determined to write a biography of President Ho Chi Minh since his life had inspired me in many ways.”

The biography was completed in 2020. “I wanted to write it, I wanted to provide the most comprehensive possible description of President Ho Chi Minh’s life.”

“His life simply left countless valuable lessons,” he said.

Source: VNA