Decree No. 350/2025/NĐ-CP stipulates on encouraging the development of literature.

DECREE

REGULATIONS ON INCENTIVES FOR LITERATURE DEVELOPMENT

On the basis of 61/2014/QH13;

On the basis of Law on Enacting Legal Normative Documents No. 64/2025/QH15 amended and supplemented by Law No. 87/2025/QH15;

At the proposal of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism;

The Government issues this Decree on incentives for literature development.

PART I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Decree regulates incentives for literature development including: Support for literature development; organization of writing camps and literary creation camps; literary writing contests and literary work creation contests; literary awards; introduction, promotion, and dissemination of literature both domestically and internationally.

Article 2. Applicability

This Decree applies to organizations and individuals in Vietnam; foreign organizations and individuals residing or studying in Vietnam; overseas Vietnamese participating or related to literature in Vietnam.

Article 3. Explanation of Terms

In this Decree, the following terms shall be understood as follows:

1. Literary work means a published text belonging to the genres: Prose, poetry, literary theory, literary criticism, literary translation, literary script.

2. Literary creation refers to the process of creating literary works belonging to the genres: Prose, poetry, literary theory, literary criticism, literary translation, literary script.

3. Manuscript of a literary work means a text belonging to the genres: Prose, poetry, literary theory, literary criticism, literary translation, literary script handwritten, typed, or created using electronic means before publication.

4. Translation of a literary work means the act of converting from one language to another while ensuring the authenticity of the translated literary work.

5. Literary theory is the generalization and application of practical knowledge in literature, social sciences, and humanities to build a system of concepts and common laws of literature.

6. Literary criticism is the evaluation and assessment of literary phenomena based on analysis and interpretation aimed at discovering new values in literature.

7. Introduction, promotion, and dissemination of literary works refer to activities bringing literature to domestic and international audiences.

Article 4. State policy on incentives for literature development

1. Creating conditions for organizations and individuals, encouraging private enterprises to actively participate in literary creation activities, and enterprises to develop literature both domestically and internationally.

2. Providing resource support when literature participates in tasks assigned by competent authorities.

3. Encouraging the organization of writing camps, literary creation camps, and literary writing contests; especially for teenagers, children.

4. Honoring authors, co-authors (hereinafter referred to as authors), and literary works with high value in content and art; protecting copyright and related rights.

5. Creating conditions, providing support, introducing, promoting, publishing, and disseminating literary works with high value in content and art.

6. Promoting digital transformation, applying scientific and technological achievements, developing creative spaces, and innovating thinking about literature.

Article 5. Content of state management over literature

1. Building and submitting to competent authorities for issuance or issuing within their authority and organizing the implementation of policies and laws stipulating incentives for literature development; popularizing and educating the law on literature.

2. Organizing honors and awarding prizes to literary works and authors of prize-winning literary works; selecting Vietnamese literary works to participate in international competitions.

3. Organizing international cooperation in literature both domestically and internationally.

4. Inspecting, handling complaints and denunciations, and dealing with violations of the law on literature.

Article 6. State Management Responsibilities for Literature

1. The Government shall uniformly manage state affairs concerning literature throughout the country.

2. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall be responsible for assisting the Government in uniformly managing state affairs concerning literature.

3. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and agencies under the Government shall implement state management over literature according to their functions, tasks, and authorities.

4. Provincial People's Committees (Provincial People's Committees) shall implement state management over literature at the local level.

Article 7. Suspension of Literary Activities and Revocation of Literary Awards

1. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and specialized cultural agencies under the Provincial People's Committees shall request the suspension of literary activities such as writing camps, creative writing camps, writing contests, literary work creation contests, and literary award organizations when these activities do not comply with the provisions set forth in Clause 1, Article 14, Article 20, and Clause 4, Article 25 of this Decree.

2. Documents requesting the suspension of literary activities such as writing camps, creative writing camps, writing contests, literary work creation contests, and literary award organizations must clearly state the reasons, time point, and duration of the suspension to complete according to the provisions set forth in Clause 1, Article 14, Article 20, and Clause 4, Article 25 of this Decree. The suspension period shall not exceed three months from the date of suspension.

3. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall revoke national literary awards organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in cases where there is no organizing committee; central ministries, sectors, and mass organizations assigned tasks by the Party and State under the Vietnam Fatherland Front shall revoke literary awards organized by ministries, sectors, and mass organizations in cases where there is no organizing committee; specialized cultural agencies under the Provincial People's Committees shall revoke literary awards organized by local agencies, organizations, and units in cases where there is no organizing committee. The revocation of literary awards shall be carried out in the following circumstances and announced through mass media:

a) The author provides false information about the work, genre of the work, or copyright of the author as stipulated in the regulations to participate in the award assessment;

b) The author commits criminal offenses as decided by the competent authority related to the award.

4. The organizing committee of the contest has the authority to revoke and nullify the results of writing contests and literary work creation contests. In cases where there is no organizing committee, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and specialized cultural agencies under the Provincial People's Committees shall decide to revoke and nullify the contest results and announce them through mass media in the following circumstances:

a) Literary works violate the provisions of the law on intellectual property rights, copyright, and related rights;

b) The author commits criminal offenses as decided by the competent authority related to the contest.

Article 8. Funding for Encouraging the Development of Literature

1. State budget as prescribed by current laws on state budget and state budget decentralization.

2. Legal funding and voluntary contributions from domestic and foreign organizations and individuals.

Chapter II
SUPPORT FOR ACTIVITIES ENCOURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF LITERATURE

Article 9. Encouraging the writing and creation of literary works

1. The State shall support authors whose literary works are written, created, or translated on topics and themes specified in Clause 2 of this Article, which have high value in terms of ideological and artistic content, are diverse in genre and language, contribute to aesthetic orientation, personality formation, morality, lifestyle, and the development of Vietnamese people in all aspects.

2. Topics and themes for the writing, creation, and translation of literary works that will be supported include:

a) National history and traditional cultural heritage; the Communist Party of Vietnam; revolution; sea, islands, and border areas; protection of sovereignty, territorial integrity of the country; ensuring national security, social order, and safety, contributing to peaceful living; countering peaceful evolution, refuting hostile forces' false propaganda against the construction and defense of the country; technology and digital transformation; climate change and the environment;

b) New individuals participating in the country's economic, cultural, and social development; movements promoting competition and learning according to the thoughts, moral examples, and style of President Ho Chi Minh;

c) Agriculture, farmers, and rural areas; the construction and development of new rural areas;

d) Youth, children, and adolescents; vulnerable groups; ethnic minorities and regions with ethnic minority populations, economically and socially disadvantaged areas, particularly difficult areas; preventing and combating domestic violence;

đ) Other topics based on actual circumstances decided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and provincial People's Committees.

Article 10. Procedures for selecting authors to support the writing and creation of literary works

1. Competent authorities providing support

a) Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, mass organizations assigned tasks by the Party and State at the central level under the Vietnam Fatherland Front (central ministries, sectors, and mass organizations);

b) Provincial People's Committees.

2. Procedures for supporting authors in writing and creating literary works

a) Annually, the competent authority specified in Clause 1 of this Article shall announce plans to support authors in writing and creating literary works through mass media and their official websites, including: Topics and themes for writing and creating literary works; requirements for personal information of participating authors; funding support and implementation period;

b) Within forty working days from the date of announcement, participating authors shall submit directly or via postal services or online through the National Public Service Portal one outline of the work in accordance with point a of this clause, along with a proposed funding support amount to the competent authority providing support. In cases where the outline does not meet the requirements of the announcement, within five working days from the receipt of the outline, the competent authority providing support shall respond in writing to the author and specify the reasons;

c) Within thirty working days from the end date of receiving outlines as announced, the competent authority providing support specified in Clause 1 of this Article shall decide to select outlines of works based on the advice of the Evaluation Board to support the writing and creation of literary works and notify the authors;

d) Within eighty working days from the date of announcement of support for the outline of the work, the author shall complete the work and submit one copy directly or via postal services or online through the National Public Service Portal to the competent authority providing support;

đ) Within thirty working days from the end date of receiving works, the competent authority providing support specified in Clause 1 of this Article shall decide to select works based on the advice of the Evaluation Board to support the works. In cases where the work is not selected for support, the competent authority providing support shall respond in writing to the author and specify the reasons.

Article 11. Appraisal Board

1. The Appraisal Board of the competent authority supporting the provision at point a, Clause 1, Article 10 of this Decree shall be established by the head of the agency to provide professional advice; the minimum number of members is seven.

2. The Appraisal Board of the competent authority supporting the provision at point b, Clause 1, Article 10 of this Decree shall be established by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee to provide professional advice; the minimum number of members is five.

3. The composition of the Appraisal Board includes: representatives of state management agencies, managers, reputable and experienced experts in the field of literature.

4. The person authorized to establish the Appraisal Board shall decide on: the term of operation of the Board annually or by phase; issue regulations for the Board's operations; dismiss, supplement, or replace Board members.

5. The Appraisal Board operates under the principle of democratic centralism and decides by majority rule. A decision of the Appraisal Board must be agreed upon by at least two-thirds of the total number of attending members.

Article 12. Criteria for Selecting Authors to Support Writing and Creating Literary Works

Authors selected to support writing and creating literary works must meet the following criteria:

1. They are Vietnamese citizens, overseas Vietnamese, or foreigners residing and studying in Vietnam; they comply well with the Party's guidelines, policies, and laws of the Vietnamese State.

2. The author has a work outline that aligns with the theme and topic as required.

3. Priority is given to supporting young authors under 35 years old from ethnic minority groups who are writing and creating their first literary works.

Article 13. Acceptance and Announcement of Supported Literary Works

The competent authority supporting the acceptance and announcement of lists of supported works and authors shall be published on mass media within ten working days from the date of the acceptance decision.

Chapter III
ORGANIZING WRITING AND CREATING LITERARY CAMPS

Article 14. Organizing Writing and Creating Literary Camps

1. Vietnamese organizations, foreign organizations in Vietnam may organize writing and creating literary camps when meeting the following criteria:

a) Having camp organization regulations in accordance with Clause 1, Article 16 of this Decree;

b) Publicly announcing the organization of writing and creating literary camps in accordance with Article 15 of this Decree on mass media at least ten working days before the camp date.

2. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism organizes writing and creating literary camps annually.

Article 15. Announcing the Organization of Writing and Creating Literary Camps

The announcement of organizing writing and creating literary camps includes the following main contents:

1. Organizing/Implementing unit.

2. Target group, number of participants.

3. Date and location of organization.

4. Theme, topic for writing and creating literary works.

Article 16. Regulations for Organizing Writing and Creating Literary Camps

Regulations for organizing writing and creating literary camps include the following main contents:

1. Organizing/Implementing unit.

2. Purpose, significance.

3. Form of organization; location; scale, number of participants; theme, topic for writing and creating; plan, implementation time.

4. Author criteria, method of selecting outlines, themes, topics for writing and creating.

5. Rights and responsibilities of authors.

6. The specialized board of the writing and creating literary camps as stipulated in Article 17 of this Decree.

Article 17. Expert Council of Literary Residency and Creative Camps

1. The competent authority deciding to organize literary residencies and creative camps as stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 14 of this Decree shall establish an Expert Council for literary residencies and creative camps to provide advisory services.

2. The Expert Council shall have a minimum of five members, including representatives from the organizations organizing literary residencies and creative camps, reputable and experienced experts in literature.

Article 18. Participants in Literary Residencies and Creative Camps

1. Participants in literary residencies and creative camps are Vietnamese citizens, overseas Vietnamese, or foreigners residing or studying in Vietnam.

2. Participants in literary residencies and creative camps are responsible for implementing the regulations on organizing literary residencies and creative camps.

Article 19. Responsibilities of Organizations when Organizing Literary Residencies and Creative Camps

1. Organizations organizing literary residencies and creative camps are responsible for complying with the provisions of this Decree and related laws.

2. Within ten working days from the end date of the literary residency or creative camp, the organization must submit a report on the results of the literary residency or creative camp, including information on the organizational process, participants, number of participants, and number of works as follows:

a) Central ministries, sectoral agencies, central-level mass organizations, and foreign organizations shall submit their reports to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism through the Performing Arts Administration.

b) Organizations not covered under point a of this clause shall submit their reports to the specialized cultural agency under the provincial People's Committee where the event was held.

3. Store products of literary residencies and creative camps at the organizations that organized them according to the legal regulations on archiving.

Chapter IV
WRITING CONTESTS AND CREATIVE WORK CONTESTS

Article 20. Organization of Writing Contests and Creative Work Contests

Vietnamese organizations and foreign organizations operating in Vietnam may organize writing contests and creative work contests if they meet the following criteria:

1. Publish a notice of the writing contest or creative work contest as prescribed in Article 21 of this Decree on public media at least ten working days before the start of the contest.

2. Have a project plan for organizing the writing contest or creative work contest as prescribed in Article 22 of this Decree.

Article 21. Notice of Writing Contests and Creative Work Contests

The notice of writing contests and creative work contests shall include the following main contents:

1. Organizing/Implementing unit.

2. Eligibility criteria for participation.

3. Content, form, scale, prize structure, duration, and budget.

4. Rights and responsibilities of participants.

Article 22. Project Plan for Writing Contests and Creative Work Contests

The project plan for writing contests and creative work contests shall include the following main contents:

1. Organizing/Implementing entity.

2. Purpose, significance.

3. Content, form, scale, prize structure, program, duration, and budget for organizing and implementing.

4. Contest Organizing Committee.

5. Contest Judging Panel.

6. Scoring Regulations.

7. Rights and responsibilities of participants.

8. Copyrights of works submitted to the contest.

Article 23. Examination Board for Literary Writing Contests and Creative Work Contests

1. The agency or organization organizing literary writing contests or creative work contests shall decide to establish an Examination Board to grade and select works.

2. The Examination Board for the contest shall have a minimum of five members, including representatives from the organizing agency or organization, and reputable experts with experience in the field of literature.

Article 24. Responsibilities of Agencies and Organizations when Organizing Literary Writing Contests and Creative Work Contests

1. When organizing literary writing contests or creative work contests, agencies and organizations shall be responsible for implementing the provisions of this Decree and relevant laws.

2. Within ten working days from the end date of the literary writing contest or creative work contest, the agency or organization shall submit a report on the results of the contest, including contents about the organization process, participants, number of participants, and contest outcomes.

a) Central ministries, sectoral agencies, central-level mass organizations, and foreign organizations shall submit their reports to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism through the Performing Arts Administration.

b) Organizations not covered under point a of this clause shall submit their reports to the specialized cultural agency under the provincial People's Committee where the event was held.

3. Store products of literary writing contests and creative work contests at the agencies and organizations organizing the contests in accordance with the law on archives.

Chapter V
LITERARY AWARDS

Article 25. Literary Awards

1. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; mass organizations assigned tasks by the Party and State at the central level under the Vietnam Fatherland Front; Provincial People's Committees may organize Literary Awards.

2. Literary Awards organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism are National Literary Awards. National Literary Awards are held every two years.

3. The head of the agencies and organizations specified in Clause 1 of this Article shall be responsible for directing the development and approval of the Project to organize literary awards in accordance with Clause 4 of this Article and implementing the approved Project.

4. The main contents of the Project to organize literary awards include:

a) Organizing/Implementing Unit;

b) Purpose and Significance;

c) Literary genre; scale; award structure; time; budget for implementation;

d) Award Organizing Committee;

đ) Award Review Board;

e) Award Review Regulations;

g) Rights and Responsibilities of Authors;

h) Copyrights of authors for works participating in the review;

i) Revocation of awards.

5. Mass organizations assigned tasks by the Party and State at the central level under the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Provincial People's Committees when organizing Literary Awards shall be responsible for submitting reports on the implementation results to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism no later than five days from the end date of the award presentation.

Article 26. Rights and Responsibilities of Authors Receiving National Literary Awards

1. Authors shall receive awards and prize money according to the Project to organize the National Literary Awards.

2. Works receiving National Literary Awards as stipulated in Clause 2 of Article 25 of this Decree shall be selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to participate in international competitions and supported for publication to introduce and promote works both domestically and internationally.

3. Authors who have received National Literary Awards shall be responsible for cooperating with central and local state management agencies on literature to introduce, promote, and disseminate their works to domestic and international audiences.

Chapter VI
INTRODUCTION, PROMOTION, AND DISSEMINATION OF LITERARY WORKS

Article 27. Introduction and Promotion of Literary Works

The introduction and promotion of literary works through activities such as exhibitions, book fairs, electronic publications, digital libraries, and the implementation of programs and projects both domestically and internationally shall be carried out in accordance with the laws on publishing, libraries, and exhibition organization.

Article 28. Criteria for Selecting Literary Works for Introduction and Promotion

Literary works selected for introduction and promotion are those that are representative, have high value in terms of ideological content and artistic merit, and have made significant contributions to the development of Vietnamese literature, or those that have won prestigious domestic and international awards.

Article 29. Responsibilities for Organizing the Introduction and Promotion of Literary Works

1. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to develop programs and projects, and organize the introduction, promotion, and advancement of Vietnamese literature abroad.

2. Provincial People's Committees shall develop plans and programs for the introduction and promotion of literature at the local level, including outstanding authors and literary works from their respective provinces.

3. The Vietnam Writers' Association, provincial and municipal associations of literature and arts, publishers, organizations, and individuals concerned shall proactively develop and implement plans and programs for the introduction and promotion of literary works within their jurisdiction in accordance with the law.

Article 30. Translation of Literary Works

1. The State encourages and supports the translation of high-quality literary works.

2. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall develop and approve proposals for translating literature to serve the State’s foreign affairs objectives on a phased or annual basis.

3. Translating Vietnamese literary works into foreign languages, ethnic minority languages in Vietnam, or vice versa must comply with the provisions of the law on intellectual property.

Article 31. Responsibilities of Literary Work Translators

1. A person translating literary works for publication and public dissemination must ensure the artistic and creative quality of the translated work and its accuracy compared to the original work in accordance with the law on intellectual property and publishing.

2. In cases of disputes over translation rights, the translator must provide full documentation proving the lawful use of the work in accordance with the law on intellectual property.

Article 32. Digital Transformation and Application of Scientific and Technological Achievements in Literature

1. Organizations and individuals permitted to disseminate literature on the internet shall comply with the provisions of this Decree and relevant laws. Artificial intelligence and advanced digital technologies are encouraged for promoting, digitizing, storing, and disseminating Vietnamese literature both domestically and internationally.

2. Dissemination of literature on the internet must be appropriate to the age of readers, moral standards, and Vietnamese customs and traditions in accordance with the laws on information technology, cybersecurity, and related Vietnamese laws.

3. Organizations and individuals with digital media platforms for disseminating literature shall fulfill their obligations under the laws on information technology, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and related laws; implement technical solutions, establish coordination mechanisms, and share information with competent state management agencies to promptly prevent and handle violations of literary works.

4. Telecommunications enterprises shall block access to violating literary works upon the request of competent state agencies.

5. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall take the lead and coordinate with the Vietnam Writers' Association to build, manage, connect, and share databases on literature, ensuring synchronization with national databases, specialized databases, and common digital platforms; organize the promotion and dissemination of Vietnamese literature on digital environments.

6. The State encourages and creates conditions for organizations, individuals, technology companies, and professional associations to participate in building and developing literature; promote public-private partnerships in research, application of science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation in literature in accordance with Article 27 of Decree No. 180/2025/NĐ-CP dated July 1, 2025 of the Government on mechanisms and policies for public-private cooperation in the field of scientific and technological development, innovation, and digital transformation.

Article 33. Submitting Vietnamese literary works to international competitions and for introduction abroad

1. Vietnamese literary works submitted to international competitions and for introduction abroad shall be considered as publications in accordance with the laws on publishing.

2. In cases where Vietnamese literary works participate in international competitions that require the work to represent the country, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall decide on the selection of the work after consulting the Vietnam Writers' Association.

Chapter VII
IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 34. Effective Date

This Decree takes effect from February 15, 2026.

Article 35. Responsibility for Implementation

1. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall take the lead and coordinate with relevant ministries, sectors to guide and organize the implementation of this Decree.

2. Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government-affiliated agencies, Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees under central cities shall be responsible for implementing this Decree.