Mikhail Samarsky, a young Russian literature talent, whose acclaimed novel “A rainbow for a friend”’s Vietnamese translation was released a week ago, begins his visit to Ho Chi Minh City today and will join a host of exchanges and activities to help the local visually-impaired people.

In the seven-day visit, 17-year-old Samarsky will hand over six computers designed specifically for the blind which he bought with his savings to the local visually-impaired youths during his coming exchanges. Several of the exchanges are admission free.

The boy wrote the novel “A rainbow for a friend” as early as he was 13. The book is the deeply moving biography of Trison, a guide dog for the blind, which depicts the dog’s braveness, loyalty and devotion towards his blind owners by protecting them from harm and accompanying them in their social integration.

“There’re three things I find most intriguing about Samarsky’s book: the depth in his prose and thinking, the significant questions he poses for the public regarding how to assist the visually impaired, and the outstanding personification of the dog,” commented Pham Ba Thuy, who translated the book into Vietnamese and spent 11 years in Russia.

“Samarsky must understand and empathize with the blind remarkably to depict their thoughts and psychological twists so realistically. I’m positive that his book will help improve how the public think about and behave towards the blind,” noted visually-impaired psychologist/ chess player Nguyen Manh Hung.

Other books by Samarsky including “On a Teetering Board Between the Hills,” and “Twelve Touches to the Horizon” will be translated into Vietnamese in the coming time.

Born to a father who is a playwright, scriptwriter and poet, and a mother who authors detective novels, Samarsky, currently a student at the Department of Political Science of Moscow State University, began writing as early as 12 years old with his debut novella, “On a Teetering Board Between the Hills.” Upon its publication the following year, the book received coverage by the mass media.

Samarsky became involved in charitable activities in 2010, when he founded an informal program, “Living Hearts”. With the help of his friends and acquaintances, he published audio and Braille-font books and purchased equipment for blind kids. Two years later, the charity fund “Living Hearts” was founded on the basis of the program.

In November 2011 during the meeting with Russia’s President D. A. Medvedev and Russian bloggers, Samarsky raised the issue of Internet accessibility for visually impaired people. President Medvedev later proposed an amendment to the legislation to allow schoolchildren to keep technical device after graduation.

Samarsky was also featured in the 2012 documentary on blind people titled “Living Hearts”.