The Team

Đặc Đen Đắng: The Vietnamese Coffee Book is a community project that has already involved over a hundred individuals from all over Việt Nam and beyond. And we look forward to working and speaking with more people as the project evolves!

We’re also looking to grow the team with local writers, photographers, designers, and translators for future releases and translations into Korean, Japanese, and French. Contact us.

  • Peter Cornish

    Peter Cornish — Words

    Peter is a British-born Australian who has spent the greater part of his life living in neither of these countries, and the last decade and a half in Việt Nam. Despite a traditional British upbringing, he prefers drinking coffee rather than tea and was drawn to Vietnam’s coffee culture on his arrival in 2008, spending hours watching the world drift by while enjoying a road-side cà phê sữa đá.

  • Lee Starnes

    Lee Starnes — Photographs

    Lee is a food and travel photographer based in Hồ Chí Minh City, Việt Nam. His love of travel and food are both rooted in forming bonds and sharing stories – traditions as old as humanity. Working in the food and beverage industry for over a decade gave him a deep appreciation of breaking bread, story telling, and the power of sharing cultures through food and travel.

  • Andy Trần

    Andy Trần – Design & Production

    Andy is an Art Director based in Hồ Chí Minh City, specialized in typography, editorial, and print design. He collaborates with clients to bring clarity and definition to their communication goals. Like many other Vietnamese, Andy’s love for coffee comes naturally. His first cup of the day is always from Robusta beans.

  • Bethany Violette

    Bethany Violette — English Editor

    Bethany is a creative writer with a background in food and beverage entrepreneurship and branding. She focuses her career on storytelling for those who share her passion. Bethany’s first “real job” was working at a small coffee shop, and she has had a soft spot for it since.