“The Last Mermaid”: When Science and Literature Blend

Within the framework of “Finnish Literature Week 2025”, Kim Dong Publishing House in collaboration with the Embassy of Finland in Vietnam and The Initiative of Children's Book Creative Content organized an exchange and launch of the work The Last Mermaid by Finnish writer Iida Turpeinen, at 2:30 p.m. on July 19 at Kim Dong Publishing House headquarters (Hanoi).

The event was attended by Vo Xuan Que and Bui Viet Hoa - who translated the work from Finnish to Vietnamese; Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Nam - Deputy Head of the Department of Biology - Director of the Museum of Biology, University of Science - Vietnam National University, Hanoi , an expert in the field of zoology; writer Di Li - the program coordinator.

With its ingenious blend of science and literature, "The Last Mermaid" has received many awards and been translated into many languages around the world.

The Last Mermaid recounts the three-century journey of the Steller's sea cow, a legendary creature first recorded by naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller in 1741 during his expedition to the North Pacific . Less than 30 years after its discovery, the gentle creature became extinct at the hands of humans.

With its emotional writing style, interweaving scientific data and humanistic literature, the work is a haunting symphony about the relationship between humans and nature, winning the Helsingin Sanomat Literary Prize for an outstanding debut work, and was nominated for the prestigious Finlandia and Torch-Bearer Prizes.

The book has been translated and published in many countries around the world such as Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Spain, Türkiye, etc., contributing to spreading the message of responsibility to nature and appreciation of lost things.

QUYNH YEN

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/nang-tien-ca-cuoi-cung-khi-khoa-hoc-va-van-chuong-hoa-quyen-post804104.html