FAQ
Last updated: [August 16, 2025]
The Basics
Q: What is Tracing Kiều?
A: Tracing Kiều is a diaspora artist-led, volunteer initiative. It begins with an international anthology and, if funding is secured, aims to grow into an exhibition, public program, and digital platform. The project invites creatives of Vietnamese heritage in the diaspora to respond to Vietnam’s most celebrated literary work: The Tale of Kiều (Truyện Kiều, c. 1805) by Nguyễn Du (1766–1820).
A key method is bói Kiều – the folk practice of opening the poem at random for guidance or inspiration. We reinterpret this tradition as a methodology for diasporic creativity, whether literally (taking a found verse as a prompt) or in a wider sense (letting a scene, character, or theme spark a new response).
Our aim is to create a bridge between the global diaspora and this literary classic by highlighting creative responses that engage with Kiều’s themes, imagery, or characters through one’s own diasporic lived experience. Your work might reinterpret a moment from the poem in a contemporary setting, connect its emotions to personal or family history, or explore its resonance in a new medium.
We are currently developing the project and applying for funding. The anthology is our first focus, and the works selected for it will also form the basis of the future exhibition.
Through literary, visual, and hybrid works, the project reimagines this classic as a living dialogue across generations, geographies, and artistic mediums.
Q: What is The Tale of Kiều about?
A: The Tale of Kiều follows Thúy Kiều, a gifted young woman who sacrifices her freedom to save her family, enduring betrayal, exploitation, and displacement. Across her journey – from sham marriage and prostitution to life as a rebel leader’s companion, then refuge in a Buddhist convent – she navigates love, injustice, moral compromise, and transformation before a reunion with her loved ones. The poem’s themes of resilience, agency, and redemption have resonated across centuries.
We encourage you to read the full poem before you start your submission – either by purchasing a copy or exploring free translations and commentary listed on our Resources page.
Q: What is bói Kiều?
Bói Kiều (“divining with Kiều”) is a traditional Vietnamese folk practice of seeking guidance from The Tale of Kiều by opening the poem at random and reading the line or couplet that appears as insight into your situation. In Tracing Kiều, we reinterpret bói Kiều as a creative methodology: not fortune telling, but an artistic prompt. You might work literally – using a randomly chosen verse – or more broadly, letting a scene, theme, or image from the text inspire a new response.iaspora – to create work that is both rooted in the classic text and shaped by their own lived experience.
Q: How do I start?
A:
- Express your interest by October 1, 2025. (A short note about who you are and what you might contribute is enough – feel free to ask questions.)
- Read The Tale of Kiều. Our Resources page includes free online translations; many print editions in Vietnamese and various other languages are also available.
- Choose your approach. Select a couplet, character, scene, or theme that resonates – or use the bói Kiều method of opening the text at random for inspiration. Existing works that already engage with The Tale of Kiều are also welcome.
- Create your work. We welcome literary, visual, hybrid, and time-based/spatial submissions (see “File Specs” below).
- Prepare your submission. Include a short biography, title, and a note on how your work engages with The Tale of Kiều.
- Send it in. Final submissions are due in December 2025/January 2026. For larger files, you can also send a download link. If you need extra time, email us – we aim to be flexible where possible.
Q: Who is leading this, and who is it for?
A: Tracing Kiều is led by a small, Berlin-based team of creatives and scholars from the Vietnamese diaspora, working with an expanding advisory network. We center diasporic voices, including mixed-heritage Vietnamese, adoptees, and third-generation diaspora, and we also welcome Vietnam-based contributors. Meet our growing team →
Participation & Eligibility
Q: Who can participate?
A: We welcome contributions from adults and young adults (18+, or younger participants with parental/guardian consent) who are working in the arts or writing, and who are prepared to give a thoughtful, well-developed creative response. This project is curated for contributors ready to engage deeply with The Tale of Kiều and its themes from a diasporic perspective.
Q: Can non-Vietnamese collaborators participate?
A: Tracing Kiều is primarily a platform for voices from the Vietnamese diaspora, including those of mixed heritage, adoptees, and multigenerational diaspora. We may also consider work from non-Vietnamese collaborators whose practice is in genuine dialogue with the poem. Allies who wish to support the project can also help with programming, graphic design, translation, outreach, or fundraising – contact us!
Q: May I submit collaboratively?
A: Yes. Co-authored and collective works are welcome. Please list all contributors.
Q: Can I send more than one piece?
A: Yes, up to two submissions per contributor or team.
Q: Do you consider previously published work?
A: Yes, if you hold the rights to license it non-exclusively. Please note original publication details.
Q: Can I also submit my work elsewhere?
A: Yes. If it is accepted somewhere else, just let us know whether you wish to withdraw it.
Creative Guidelines
Q: Do I need to finish my work before I submit?
A:
- Text and image-based works (fiction, essays, poetry, photography, illustration, etc.) must be submitted in final form by December 2025 / January 2026.
- Time-based or spatial works (video, installation, performance, etc.) should be submitted as 2D documentation (stills, photos, sketches, drawings) accompanied by a short text (poetic, explanatory, or conceptual). These can represent a work-in-progress, as long as the documentation and text clearly show the concept and its connection to The Tale of Kiều.
- If you would like feedback during your creative process, you are welcome to send us early concepts or drafts before the deadline.
Q: What formats can I submit in?
A: We welcome a wide range: prose, poetry, essays, short scripts; photography, drawing/painting, collage, comics/storyboards, and mixed media; photo-text essays and creative dialogues. For time-based or spatial work (film, performance, installation), please send stills, sketches, or other 2D documentation with a short text.
Q: Do you accept interviews?
A: We prioritize creative works over traditional Q&A transcripts. If your starting point is a conversation, try to shape it into a creative form – for example, a first-person essay, letter, or monologue (with the narrator’s consent).
Q: What kind of visual work are you looking for?
A: We welcome visual and graphic works – illustration, photography, collage, comics, or other image-based forms. The Tale of Kiều has inspired generations of Vietnamese artists to create illustrations and book covers. We honor this tradition, but we especially encourage works that go beyond literal depictions to explore the poem’s themes in contemporary and personal ways.
Q: How does the anthology relate to the exhibition?
A: The anthology is our first focus and will form the basis of the exhibition. The exhibition will only take place if we secure funding and venue support. Selection for the anthology does not automatically mean selection for the exhibition. If funding is approved, we will hold an extra curatorial meeting to decide which works can be presented in exhibition form.
Q: What languages can I submit in?
A: English is our working language. Vietnamese, German, French, and other diaspora languages are welcome. If funding allows, we will support translation and include bilingual versions where possible. If you already have your own English translation, please send it.
Q: Can I share resources with the community?
A: Yes! You are welcome to share links, references, or short notes for our blog or resources page. These contributions help build a richer dialogue among participants and connect our community.
How to Submit
Q: Where and how do I submit?
A: See instructions at tracingkieu.net/submissions and email submissions to mail@tracingkieu.net with the subject “Submission – [Your Name] – [Title].”
Q: File specs?
A:
- Text: PDF or DOCX; prose/essays up to ~2,500 words; poetry up to 6 pages.
- Images: JPG/PNG, minimum 2000 pixels on the long edge; include captions and credits.
- Video/audio: Share view links (Vimeo/YouTube/Drive) plus a 150–250 word description and 4–8 stills.
- Time-based/spatial works: Submit 2D documentation for print consideration.
- Layout note: Page and space constraints may require a different layout or an excerpted presentation than submitted.
If you have questions or feel your work can’t fit these specs, email us and we’ll try to find a workable format.
Selection, Rights, Support
Q: How will you select works and stay accountable?
A: The project team selects in dialogue with an advisory circle from literature and the arts. We invite feedback on process and will correct course when needed.
Q: Rights and compensation?
A: Contributors retain copyright and grant non-exclusive rights for the anthology, exhibition, and related communications. At present, there is no funding, so we cannot offer payment. If funding is secured – most likely through the Berlin exhibition – we aim to offer modest honoraria. Please note that anthology inclusion alone may not come with payment.
Contributors are also responsible for obtaining consent from any individuals they quote, interview, or depict in their work.
Q: Do you have funding?
A: Not yet. We are applying for support for the exhibition in Berlin and exploring other opportunities. We are grateful for advisory support from DVAN (Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network).
Q: Where will the anthology be published?
A: We are in conversation with publishers and will officially pitch the anthology once we have a sizeable number of contributions. Because our working language is English, we aim for a publisher with global reach.
Timeline & Flexibility
Q: What’s the timeline?
A:
- By October 1, 2025: Email to express interest (a short note on who you are and what you might contribute is enough).
- December 2025 / January 2026: Final submissions for the anthology (Text and image-based works must be complete; time-based/spatial works may be submitted as documentation with a short text.)
- Spring 2026: Selection notifications.
- 2027: Berlin exhibition targeted (pending funding).
Q: What if I am not ready by the deadline?
A: Email us. We aim to be flexible and support your process.
Q: Can I contribute behind the scenes – as an editor, curator, or fundraiser?
A: Yes! We would love to hear from you! Contact us through the contact form or via mail@tracingkieu.net.