One morning
The sunlight was playing in the gardens
The starfruit trees were awakening
The rose’s petals were opening.
These are the pure and lovely verses extracted from the poetry collection “The Beautiful Garden” by young poet Nguyen Thuy Lam (6Manchester). Despite her small stature, Thuy Lam demonstrated her talent for languages and poetry early on. She has previously won a Special Prize in the elementary-level English speech competition. Her debut poetry collection was written in English when she was only 7 years old.
For Thuy Lam, writing is not just a joy but also a way to explore the world: “I always feel happy when I hold a pen, immersed in my own imaginary space, free from any constraints.” In the summer of 2020, when the world was severely impacted by the COVID pandemic, Thuy Lam still found delightful moments in her mother’s beautiful garden. The small, lush green balcony, filled with fragrance and vibrant sounds, became a lively world in the eyes of the little girl, inspiring her to write her first poems. “The Beautiful Garden” was translated into Vietnamese by her mother and published in 2022 by the University of Pedagogy Publishing House.
Thuy Lam shares that every garden has a soul. She hopes that through this collection, readers will appreciate the beauty of nature and cherish the small green sprouts. In 2023, Thuy Lam and her mother decided to donate all profits from book sales to the Green Happiness Fund. For every book sold, a seedling will be contributed to reforestation efforts, supporting the lifelong nurturing and care of white mangrove trees in the Soc Trang mangrove forest.
“The super typhoons Yagi and Milton this year remain a terrifying memory for many. This serves as a warning from mother nature about the adverse effects humans have on the environment. It is time for us to take responsibility for protecting the green environment, not just in words but also through practical actions. What comes from the heart will touch the heart. I hope my small actions will spread the green message to even more people,” Thuy Lam stated.
Her creative talent and love for the environment are standout traits that helped Thuy Lam secure an IB scholarship at Dewey. She expresses her excitement that each lesson in class is not limited to knowledge but also an opportunity to showcase her personality and unleash her ideas. “Teachers always bring us open-ended topics, allowing us to express ourselves freely in various forms, from embodying characters and giving presentations to artistic projects. What I love most about Dewey is that the school not only focuses on developing students’ second language skills but also encourages them to actively share the Vietnamese identity and the beauty of the Vietnamese language,” Thuy Lam shared.
Thuy Lam’s favorite author is J.K. Rowling, who inspires her with the spirit of “never giving up.” Before rising to fame with “Harry Potter” – the best-selling novel of all time – she was rejected by 12 publishers. Thuy Lam firmly believes that only by diligently pursuing our passions with perseverance and without fear of failure will success eventually smile upon us
Thank you to “little pepper” Thuy Lam for sharing her inspiring story about the journey of “beyond the blueprint, mapping your own way.” We hope her passion for writing continues to be nurtured at Dewey. Wishing Thuy Lam many more meaningful green projects this school year as she continues to spread her love for nature and the spirit of environmental responsibility to your friends.
