This is the 30^th time the award will be presented to outstanding writers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s member countries: Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Brunei.

The awards ceremony will be held in Bangkok, Thailand on September 30 in the presence of Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Nguyen Ngoc Tu was born in 1976 in the southernmost province of Ca Mau and began her literary career at the age of 20.  Tu is an editor of Ca Mau province’s Van Nghe Magazine and is a member of the Ca Mau provincial Literature & Arts Association.

Her short story collection selected for this year’s award, ”Endless Field”, includes 14 of her latest and best short stories.