VietNamNet Bridge – The 3rd annual Belgian-Vietnamese Comic Festival will take place in Hanoi from June 1 to 10 on the occasion of International Children's Day.

The event, to be held by the Wallonia-Brussels Delegation to Vietnam in collaboration with local Kim Dong Publishing House, will showcase the best Vietnamese and Belgian comics as well as include exchanges between comic authors from the two countries and meetings with local comic lovers.

Renowned Belgian cartoonist Jean Claude, director of the Brussels-based Belgian Centre for Comic Strips, is also expected to attend the festival.

For the occasion, Kim Dong publishing will reprint many book titles which have been favored by child readers, including “Dat Rung Phuong Nam” (Southern Forest), “Que Noi” (Grandmom’s homeland), “The Little Price” and “Doctor Aibolit,” with critics’ comments attached.

From May 26 to June 14, the publisher will also offer a discount program of up to 50 percent off for children’s books at its nationwide stores.

Last year in Hanoi, the event attracted comic lovers with an exhibition featuring the famous Belgian comic strip “Spirou,” created in 1938, and Vietnamese comic books with the theme of the cat—that year’s zodiac sign in Vietnam.

Famous Belgian comic writer Stephen Desberg also met with local writers and students during the festival.

VietNamNet/Tuoi Tre