Hanoi, June 17 -- An award ceremony was held in Budapest on June 15 for the first-ever literary contest dedicated to Vietnamese women living overseas.

The event held greater significance as it coincided with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Hungary and the 35th anniversary of Vietnam - EU diplomatic ties.

From a pool of 182 submissions by 144 authors from 18 countries, the organisers selected 18 winning pieces in two categories: poetry and prose. The 2,000 USD first prize went to "Vong quay" (The Rotation) by Nguyen Thi Hong An from France. A notable surprise for the jury was 76-year-old Huynh Ngoc Nga from Italy, the oldest participant, who won the second prize for her short story "My Father's Chessboard...