Which foreign author has had the most books published in Vietnam?

His total exceeds the number of works by William Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, Victor Hugo, Honoré de Balzac and Haruki Murakami.

Higashino Keigo recently died at the age of 68 from cancer, leaving many readers around the world, including his Vietnamese fans, mourning his loss.

A talk on his literary career and distinctive approach to mystery fiction was recently organized by Nha Nam, a publishing and communications company, in Hanoi.

Despite the stormy weather, many Higashino Keigo fans attended the event to share their passion for his mystery novels, which often prompt readers to reflect on people and society, as well as the nature of evil.

Nha Nam was one of the first Vietnamese publishers to introduce Higashino Keigo's works to Vietnamese readers and has published many of his books over nearly two decades.

The Japanese author has gained a large readership among Vietnamese readers over nearly two decades, with works including The Devotion of Suspect X, Journey Under the Midnight Sun, The Miracles of the Namiya General Store and The 11th Letter.

Nguyen Xuan Minh, Nha Nam's director of planning and copyright, said more than 60 of Higashino Keigo's works, out of a total of more than 100, have been translated and published in Vietnam.

The number could reach about 70 by the end of this year if copyright negotiations with the people managing the author's literary estate proceed smoothly.

Several Vietnamese publishers have acquired rights to Higashino Keigo's works, as is also the case in Japan, where his books are published by both major and smaller publishing houses. Despite his status as one of Japan's best-known mystery writers, he has not restricted his works to a single major publisher.

This broad availability has helped Vietnamese publishers capitalize on the popularity of his writing, making Higashino Keigo the foreign author with the most works translated and published in Vietnam.

His success in Vietnam, however, did not come immediately. In 2009, Nha Nam introduced Vietnamese readers to Higashino Keigo with The Devotion of Suspect X, followed by Naoko, a mystery novel with elements of fantasy.

Both books had been highly successful in Japan and had won major awards, but they initially sold poorly in Vietnam.

Naoko won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 1999, while The Devotion of Suspect X won the 134th Naoki Prize and the Honkaku Mystery Grand Prize in 2006.

By the time Nha Nam published them in Vietnam, each had already sold several million copies in Japan.

But the two books sold poorly in Vietnam.

Nha Nam did not give up. In 2013, it released another Higashino Keigo title, Journey Under the Midnight Sun, which received an unexpectedly strong response from Vietnamese readers. Higashino Keigo gradually became a familiar name among local mystery fans.

Following the success of the novel, Nha Nam reprinted his earlier books and continued acquiring rights to more titles. Other Vietnamese publishers also began introducing his works, helping expand his readership.

Higashino Keigo's appeal extends well beyond Japan and Vietnam. His works have been translated and published in more than 40 countries and adapted for film and television.

A writer who reinvented mystery fiction

Born in Osaka in 1958, Higashino Keigo worked as an engineer before becoming a professional writer. In 1985, he won the Edogawa Ranpo Award for his novel After School, marking the beginning of a decades-long career closely associated with Japanese mystery fiction.

Over the years, Higashino Keigo has built an extensive body of work, with his books translated into numerous languages and adapted for the screen. He is regarded as one of the most influential figures in contemporary Japanese mystery literature.

His mysteries often explore complicated relationships, personal choices and the circumstances behind people's actions. Solving the crime is only part of the story. Behind the question of who committed the crime is often a more difficult question: what drove that person to do it?

Rather than focusing solely on identifying the culprit, Higashino Keigo delves into motives, psychology and human tragedy. This approach, often described as social mystery fiction, encourages readers to look beyond the crime and empathize with the characters.

His ability to refresh the traditional mystery genre has earned him recognition as an innovator. His writing is also known for being simple, clear and emotionally engaging.

Writer Nguyen Duc Anh and translator Do Nguyen have described his prose as minimalist, emphasizing its simplicity and accessibility.

Another factor behind his enduring appeal is the variety of his storytelling. Despite having published more than 100 novels, he frequently experiments with different structures and narrative approaches rather than repeating the same formula.