In streetstalls such as these, nearly all books are pirated and photocopied

Want to buy books while traveling in Vietnam? While you’ll have no problem finding books on Vietnamese art and culture in its many bookstores, you’ll find almost nothing on its wars, politics, or society, and precious little Vietnam-related fiction. The two main reasons for this are governmental restrictions on imported literature, and the prevalence of bootlegged, photocopied books. 

Governmental restrictions on imported books 

The government of Vietnam is extremely thin-skinned when it comes to books that it interprets as being critical of Vietnam.  As a result, it creates a bureaucratic nightmare for bookstores wishing to sell titles relating to Vietnam.  

Should a bookstore wish to import a given book, for example, it has to submit its title on a list, and wait for government clearance to import the book. When it’s imported, several copies immediately go to a regulatory body, where it’s read. The process of reading and reviewing takes up to two months. It can be rejected for any reason, and pundits believe any mention at all of the word “Viet” will automatically exclude it from approval.  

This arduous bureaucratic process creates a situation where, in reality, no bookstore wishes to bother with importing books.  

Bootlegged, photocopied books 

In response to the process described above, many Vietnam-related books are bootleg-printed, and sold by thousands of vendors in street stalls or walking the streets of Vietnam’s major cities. Obviously, no residuals go to publishers or authors.  The printing is legible although photos are not.  The selection is decent, and new books “appear” constantly, as bootleg presses keep running. 

WoWasis’ recommendation?  Buy Vietnam-related books in your own country, or in bookstores in Bangkok or Singapore.  The selection will be greater there, the authors will get royalties, and photography less miasmatic.