Viet Thanh Nguyen
Viet Thanh Nguyen (Viet Thanh Nguyen) was born on March 13th, 1971 and is currently 55 years old. Viet Thanh Nguyen was born in Ban Mê Thuột, Vietnam. Nguyen attended University of California at Berkeley where he received a B.A. English and Ethnic Studies and University of California at Berkeley where he received a Ph.D English.
Viet Thanh Nguyen has written 4 Non-Fiction Books. The first was released in 2002 with the book Race and Resistance. The most recently released was To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other which was released in 2025. There are no upcoming non-fiction books by Viet Thanh at this time.
Viet Thanh Nguyen has also written The Sympathizer series which has 2 books including The Sympathizer and The Committed.
Nguyen was honoured with a MacArthur Fellowship in 2017 for challenging how the Vietnam War was protrayed, and exploring the effect it had on the people it displaced.
Viet Thanh Nguyen: Awards & Accolades
Nguyen's books have won multiple awards, The Sympathizer won the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Fiction, in 2016 as well as the Edgar Award - Best First Novel in 2016.
Viet Thanh Nguyen books have also been nominated for multiple awards, The Sympathizer was nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Best Mystery/Thriller, in 2015. The Refugees was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Fiction, in 2017. A Man of Two Faces was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Memoir and Autobiography, in 2023.
The Sympathizer was listed at #9 on the Los Angeles Times "Best Fiction Books of the Last 30 Years" list, which was published in April 2025.
Viet Thanh Nguyen: Lists & Other Mentions
- The Sympathizer has made several lists including:
- New York Times: 100 Best Books of the 21st Century Selection in 2024.
- Chicago Tribune: Best Books of the Decade (2010s) Selection in 2019.
- Time Magazine: The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time Selection in 2023.
- Los Angeles Times: The 30 Best Fiction Books of the Last 30 Years Selection in 2025.
- Paste Magazine: The 40 Best Novels of the 2010s Selection in 2020.
- The Refugees was a Honi Soit: 100 Best Books of the 21st Century Selection in 2024.
- The Committed was a Time Magazine: 100 Must-Read Books Selection in 2021.
- Nothing Ever Dies was a Reader's Digest: 50 Best Nonfiction Books of All Time Selection in 2024.
Related Authors
Fans of Viet Thanh Nguyen also enjoy these authors:
- Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale Series.
- Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower Series.
- Anthony Doerr, author of: All the Light We Cannot See.
- Amor Towles, author of: A Gentleman in Moscow.
- Tana French, author of the Dublin Murder Squad Series.
Viet Thanh Nguyen: F.A.Q
When was Viet Thanh Nguyen Born? How old is Viet Thanh Nguyen?
Viet Thanh Nguyen was born on March 13th, 1971. Viet Thanh Nguyen is currently 55 years old.
Where was Viet Thanh Nguyen Born?
Viet Thanh Nguyen was born in Ban Mê Thuột, Vietnam and is Vietnamese.
What book awards has Viet Thanh Nguyen won?
The Sympathizer: Dayton Literary Peace Prize Fiction (2016), Edgar Award Best First Novel (2016).
What was the first book Viet Thanh Nguyen wrote?
The first book written by Viet Thanh Nguyen was Race and Resistance, published in 2002.
What was the most recent book Viet Thanh Nguyen wrote?
His most recently released work was To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other (a short story) on April 8th, 2025.
What is the most popular book by Viet Thanh Nguyen?
Based on the number of readers on Book Notification, the most popular Viet Thanh Nguyen book is
The Sympathizer. Here are his most popular books:
- The Sympathizer (7.63)
- The Refugees (8)
- The Committed (9)
- Chicken of the Sea (10)
- A Man of Two Faces (10)
Are there upcoming new books by Viet Thanh Nguyen?
Viet Thanh Nguyen does not have any upcoming books with a set publication date within the next few months at this time.
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How many books has Viet Thanh Nguyen written?
Viet Thanh Nguyen has written 9 books excluding contributions to anthologies. 2 books in The Sympathizer Series, 2 Standalone Novels, 1 Short Story/Novella, 1 book in the Picture Books, 4 Non-Fiction Books.