Launch of the Vietnam publishing and reading Culture Development Alliance
WVR - In celebration of Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day on April 21, 2026, and in response to Directive No. 04-CT/TW from the Secretariat on strengthening the Party's leadership over publishing activities in the new situation, three of Vietnam's leading publishing and distribution units, including Alpha Books, Dong A, and First News, have officially signed and announced the establishment of the Vietnam Reading Alliance (VRA) at Read Station (Huynh Thuc Khang, Hanoi).
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The inception of VRA is a practical and specific action by entities in the publishing industry to realize the Party and State's orientations. It also marks a significant shift from individual cooperation to a deep, organized, and long-term commitment across the entire industry.
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| Representatives of three of Vietnam's leading publishing and distribution units, including Alpha Books, Dong A, and First News, have officially signed. |
Joining forces for a learning society and the aspiration for knowledge
VRA is a voluntary cooperative alliance among entities in the fields of publishing, education, and culture, operating on principles of voluntariness, equality, and transparency.
In the context where knowledge becomes a core national capability, VRA is not intended to replace the individual roles of each entity but to create a common connecting platform. Here, strength is multiplied through unified coordinated actions, creating a profound impact within the community.
The alliance aims to promote reading culture, enhance publishing standards, and contribute to building a modern publishing industry with national identity, where knowledge is the foundation for the country's sustainable development.
The distinct feature of VRA lies in its operational model that does not form common profits or "group interests," with three core principles:
Lead Unit Model: Each project or book fair will have one unit acting as the Lead (initially Alpha Books) to coordinate from legal procedures, venue, to communication and operations.
Sharing Risks and Public Benefits: All costs are public and transparent. Members contribute and share risks according to their participation ratio in the project.
Commitment to a Healthy Market: The entities commit not to undercut the market and not to affect the existing distribution system.
Accordingly, VRA welcomes all publishing and distribution entities to join with flexible cooperation options: Direct participation, co-investment, or providing products to the lead unit with preferential discounts.
Voices of the founding members
The founding members of VRA, including Mr. Nguyen Canh Binh (Alpha Books), Mr. Tran Dai Thang (Dong A Books), and Mr. Nguyen Van Phuoc (First News), affirm that VRA is always open to welcoming official members, strategic partners, and local authorities.
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| Mr. Nguyen Canh Binh - Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alpha Books shares at the ceremony. |
Mr. Nguyen Canh Binh stated: “Developing a reading culture is a common mission of the whole society. In the face of many current challenges, cooperation under the model of 'three trees together' will help publishing units rely on each other to overcome difficulties and develop better, as well as contribute better to society.
We aim to upgrade book fairs into true cultural festivals – places not only for selling books but also for integrating art exhibitions, street music, and artistic activities to inspire reading in the community. We hope to receive the collaboration of publishing, educational units, localities, and communities in VRA to build a learning Vietnam together – where knowledge becomes the foundation for sustainable development.”
Mr. Tran Dai Thang shared: “The story of reading culture, for us, does not start from grand things. It begins with specific actions: a more meticulously organized book fair, a more stable reading point, a book reaching the right reader. If these actions are done regularly and long enough, the results will come naturally. We also welcome industry units to expand the Alliance in the future.”
In agreement, Mr. Nguyen Van Phuoc also expressed: “We hope to receive the cooperation and companionship of all of you, publishers, distributors, schools, technology companies, and every book-loving individual to create a strong knowledge ecosystem, where good books find the right readers, where reading culture becomes a source of pride for Vietnamese people.”
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| Delegates attending the signing ceremony on April 24 in Hanoi. (Photo: Organizing Committee) |
| VRA identifies 6 pillars of operation for the period 2026-2030: 1. Organizing book fairs and reading culture events nationwide: Conducting hundreds of modern, impactful book fairs spread across provinces, bringing books closer to all social classes, especially in areas with limited access to reading culture. 2. Contributing to and promoting reading culture in the community: Actively organizing and participating in media campaigns, community events, and activities to ignite a love for books in society from urban to rural areas, from adults to the younger generation. 3. Advising and developing reading points in schools and communities: Supporting the establishment of thousands of reading points and libraries in schools, residential areas, and local communities; advising on developing regular reading sessions, helping form sustainable reading habits from school age. 4. Advocating and developing private and corporate library systems: Actively participating in advocacy, advising, and supporting the formation of library systems in enterprises, organizations, and residential communities, expanding access to knowledge beyond the school environment, aiming for 1 million lifelong learning readers. 5. Campaigning against pirated books, protecting copyrights: Strengthening propaganda efforts, advocating the entire industry and society to strictly comply with copyright regulations; building a healthy, transparent, and professional publishing environment, protecting the legitimate rights of authors, translators, publishers, and readers. 6. Sharing experiences and training personnel for the publishing industry: Creating a forum for alliance units and the entire industry to share management, operation, and development experiences; simultaneously implementing training programs, fostering high-quality personnel, laying the foundation for a professional, modern, and sustainable publishing industry in the long term. |
