Join The Candid Book Club at Waterstones Piccadilly for an evening with Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, to discuss her novel Dust Child. A dazzling, richly evocative reflection on the complex legacy of the Vietnam War, Dust Child deftly interweaves the stories of a group of unforgettable characters who are all searching for meaning from the traumas of the past.

Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer and journalist. She is the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction and non-fiction. Her books in Vietnamese have received the 2010 Poetry of the Year Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital’s Literature & Arts Award, and First Prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, The Mountains Sing, is an International Bestseller, Finalist of the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, Winner of the Blogger’s Book Prize 2021, Winner of the 2021 International Book Awards, Winner of the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, and Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for "a work of exceptional quality" and for "contribution to peace and reconciliation".

We encourage attendees to read the book beforehand to allow for an open discussion on the night, but paperback copies of the book will also be available to purchase online via the Book & Ticket bundle – to be collected at the event.