Beyond the Page
by Vo Nguyen An Vy
I’m a high school student, born in 2008, from Hanoi. This website is my own cultural oasis, where I write about the things I’m most passionate about films and books and share personal stories that reflect who I am. Beyond writing, it’s also a space to spread positivity through my other creative and community pursuits.
I am Vo Nguyen An Vy, born in Vietnam in 2008 and now studying in Pennsylvania, a storyteller at heart—expressing myself through brushstrokes, prose, fashion, and the magic of film. Deeply rooted in Vietnamese heritage yet eager to explore, I will always be in pursuit of beauty and meaning through my creative ventures, building bridges between cultures and a path to self-discovery.
My creative works—published novel, picture book, and art portfolio—reflect my journey of world exploration and self-discovery. Each venture opens the gateway to my mind, inviting readers and viewers to wander with me through my lively imagination.
Welcome to my blog, a small corner where I share my love for films and books. To me, stories are bridges between cultures, offering glimpses into lives and worlds beyond our own. Here, I write to explore those stories and invite you to join the conversation.
This section showcases my experiences beyond creative writing — including leadership roles in my start-up project, an educational initiative on gender awareness, and several research studies. Each reflects my curiosity, social engagement, and drive to create meaningful impact through different fields.
ABOUT ME
As a kid, I wasn’t allowed to have a phone—not until I was much older. While my friends were watching cartoons on TV, my only entertainment came in the form of books. I read the comic versions of those same cartoons and imagined the movement between each panel. Reading became my secret world.
I stayed up countless nights, racing through chapters, sometimes finishing an entire novel in a single day when I was in middle school. Books fascinated me because they transformed the mundane into something magical. In their pages, I found storylines that didn’t exist in my everyday life. Given my love for books, my love for films didn’t come as much of a surprise. I’ve always been drawn to anything that lets my imagination roam free, that offers perspectives and experiences I would never get to see otherwise. Film, I realized, is more than storytelling. It’s like a trial run at living another life, a chance to slip into someone else’s shoes for two hours.
For me, they became a kind of private conversation with myself—I loved watching them alone, paying attention to how I felt as the story unfolded, as the emotions moved freely across the screen. “Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” I live by this. Movies aren’t bound to one language or one culture—they’re universal. To me, film is cultural exchange at its purest: a way of learning about people and places far beyond my own world. Stories should transcend borders, and cinema has the rare ability to do exactly that. At the same time, movies are also a shared experience. They have the power to make hundreds of people laugh, cry, or sit in silence together—even if they don’t know one another. And I’m endlessly fascinated by the way films spark conversation: how one small scene can inspire countless different interpretations.
MY WORKS
Short Novel “Lời Cỏ Hát”
Author
Inspired by the Tortoise and the Hare, this is an allegorical short novel that reimagines the classic race as a journey through language, empathy, and the search for one’s voice
Writing the fable “Loi Co Hat” is a very special journey for me – not only a literary creation, but also a way for me to share my sympathy with children who have difficulty in communication. Inspired by the story “The Tortoise and the Hare”, I built a metaphorical world where each character has a concern about voice – not just sound, but the inner voice, the right to be heard and respected. When the book was published and sold 150 copies in the first two months, I understood that literature still has a strong influence if it touches on humanistic issues. The series of book introductions at Linh Nam Primary School (Hanoi) and meetings with readers helped me spread the message of inclusive communication. Being published in Journal of Labour and Social Affairs of the Ministry of Labour, and receiving recommendations from international cultural experts such as Stella Ciorra further helped me believe that writing can create a positive social impact.
EHON Book “Small Age, Big Task - A Day as Mom”
Author
Illustrating a child’s imaginative journey of experiencing adult responsibilities
When writing and illustrating the EHON picture book “Small Age, Big Task – A Day as Mom”, I wanted to create a work not only for children to read but also for them to feel and reflect. Through the story of a child imagining herself as a mother on a challenging day, I tried to sow in them the seeds of empathy, gratitude and the spirit of sharing responsibilities in the family. I chose to write bilingually with simple text and familiar images to support the development of children’s cognition and language skills in the early stages of life. What makes me happiest is not the more than 1,000 reads per month, but the interactive launch with 110 children at Hanoi Seoul Montessori, where I witnessed with my own eyes the children reading and asking innocent questions about love and care. When the book was published by ThS. Nguyen Thuy Quynh (Hanoi National University of Education) assessed that children's literature has emotional educational value, I believe more and more that children's literature can nurture personality and emotions in a sustainable way.
OTHERS
Tĩnh Linen
Founder
A sustainable business model for Northwestern ethnic textiles that balances cultural preservation with commercialization
I founded Tinh Linen with the desire to create a sustainable business model associated with cultural values, instead of just stopping at selling ordinary fashion products. During field trips to the villages in the Northwest, I learned how to distinguish ethnic patterns, understand the process of hand-weaving brocade and feel the passion of the women weavers who preserve the traditional craft. Those experiences helped me realize that each piece of fabric carries a story of cultural identity and memory - something that deserves to be respected and spread, not just insensitively commercialized.
When building a B2B supply chain and B2C products, I prioritize developing culturally sustainable products instead of following trends. I directly seek partners, work with three craft workshops to ensure transparent raw material origins and support local livelihoods. In addition, I design my own product lines such as tote bags, 12 zodiac key chains or innovative dresses to help brocade become closer to young people. Receiving more than 90 first orders and achieving revenue of nearly 2,000 USD is not only a business milestone, but also proves that heritage can enter modern life in a delicate and valuable way.
I consider Tinh Linen not only a brand, but a cultural bridge. Bringing products to exhibitions at Phenikaa University and school fairs in the US opens up opportunities for international connections, helping foreign friends understand more about the delicate beauty of Vietnamese materials. In particular, I organized the workshop “Threads of Commerce – Crossing Borders Through Textile Heritage” with the participation of speakers from China and Ukraine to discuss the role of traditional crafts in sustainable trade. Through this, I learned that the greatest significance of business lies not in profit, but in its ability to create dialogue and respect between cultures.
sEXPLAINED
Founder
Sex education project for children aged 12-18
I founded the sEXPLAINED project because I realized that sex education in Vietnam still has many gaps, especially for students aged 12-18. Instead of avoiding this topic, I wanted to bring a scientific - safe - respectful approach. I designed an infographic on sex and reproductive health with a familiar and easy-to-understand language to distribute to students in many provinces and cities. When I received thank-you messages from students for helping them "understand correctly to know how to protect themselves", I realized that the project has practical meaning and is not just a communication activity.
In addition to learning materials, I built the sEXPLAINED fanpage to share authentic knowledge about the body, puberty psychology and personal safety, attracting stable interactions from the student and parent community. In particular, when organizing the workshop "What We Weren’t Taught?" at Phenikaa University with nearly 80 young people participating, I clearly felt the importance of opening up a space for healthy dialogue about gender. This experience helped me understand that sex education is not just about biological information – it is also a lesson about self-respect, responsibility and empathy in relationships.
