Vietnam has made a historic step in children’s literature. Le Thu Phuong Quynh has been chosen as a juror for the 2028 Hans Christian Andersen Award.

Quynh is the first person from Vietnam and the whole of Southeast Asia to sit on the award’s jury. She has more than 15 years of work in children’s publishing, editing, translation and literacy, and she has written or co‑written nine books and translated ten picture books.

The award is often called the Nobel Prize of children’s literature. This year Vietnam also received its first nominations, with author Nguyen Huu Quynh Huong and illustrator Ta Huy Long as candidates. It is the first time in the award’s more than 70‑year history that Vietnam has both nominees and a juror on the panel.

Quynh’s role shows Vietnam and Southeast Asia are now part of the world’s most respected children’s literature community. The appointment marks a new milestone for the region.