Refugee’s Writing Journey Leads to Children’s Book Deal
At eight years old, Hanh Bui and her family left war-torn Vietnam for safety and a new beginning. After nine days at sea, they were rescued by the United States Navy. Hanh will always be grateful for the kindness of her first American helpers.
Growing up, she connected with universal themes of family, friendship, and love in the books she read. However, she didn’t see stories about families similar to her own represented between the pages of books. There weren’t any characters she could identify with or who looked like her.
Inspired by her first American teacher at a refugee camp, Hanh grew up to also become a teacher. During her years as an educator, she found there were still few books with Asian American characters or stories written by Asian Americans. When her own children’s love of books blossomed, Hanh decided if she couldn’t find representation in children’s literature, then she would write her own stories based on her childhood and Vietnamese heritage. Hanh hopes her books will be a “mirror” for more children to know that their experiences matter and serve as a “window or sliding door” for all children.
Hanh has found a publishing home for two of her books with Macmillan Feiwel and Friends. The first of the two children’s picture books is an intergenerational story about family love. Through the book, which will launch in 2023, Hanh shares the importance of traditions as well as allow young readers to experience Vietnamese culture.
The second book, which will be released in 2024, is inspired by Hanh’s own refugee experience. It was written as a tribute to her grandparents and the teacher who taught her English at the refugee camp. Hanh hopes her book embodies the gratitude she feels for the teacher who helped her embrace her voice in a new country.
Hanh’s writing has been featured in Highlight, Next Avenue and Forbes.
