Banned books hot property in censored Vietnam | Bangkok Post: news

From irreverent cartoons to "depraved" short stories, Vietnam's pop culture is attracting the attention of print censors who experts say are struggling to accept an increasingly brash literary scene.

Cartoonist Nguyen Thanh Phong holds up copy of his published book "The murderer with a pus-filled head". Phong said his illustration of two gormless-looking soldiers kicking a grenade to each other may have caused the censors' ire.

After years spent keeping political texts off the printing presses, authorities are setting their sights on the growing market of publishing for young people, with several books prohibited in recent months.