Working with talented journalists at Metro Writers has been one of the highlights of my career in Vietnam.
In the decade and a half since the art of writing devolved into the chore of generating “content”, fewer young writers have had the opportunity to develop their talents as true wordsmiths. Those who are committed to excellent standards in written communication are rare characters who dedicate themselves to their craft.
In working on The Lotus and the Silver Fern for the Vietnamese Government and the New Zealand Diplomatic Mission to Vietnam, my colleagues Jamille Tran and Tuan Anh (Max) Nguyen devoted many hours to prepare in-depth interview pieces for the book, investigating the personal ties our community has made between these two countries. The result is a beautifully prepared volume consisting of 50 profiles of ordinary people whose lives have been touched by both cultures, officially produced by Vietnamese State Publisher, the National Political Publishing House.
Jamille and Tuan Anh are well recognised for their work with the Business Times in Singapore and Bloomberg Businessweek Vietnam respectively, and I’m profoundly grateful for their contribution to this official diplomatic record.
Metro Writers composes distinguished bespoke biographies for our esteemed client base, and both of these talented writers are valued collaborators in this work. For The Lotus and the Silver Fern, I’m pleased to have been able to channel the best efforts of my team to this important diplomatic milestone.