Four foreign literary works that have not made the jump to Korean due to difficulty in translation or lack of commercial interest have been selected for the 2022 Translation of World Classics. The Daesan Foundation announced Monday four novels to be translated and introduced for the first time in the country. The selected novels were: “Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life” (1848) by Elizabeth Gaskell, “The Forty Days of Musa Dagh” (1933) by Franz Werfel, “Reeds in

Acclaimed poet and translator Choi Don-mee connected two Korean American translators with Korean poet Yi Won for the English translation of Yi's poems, seeing the "sisterhood" between Korean poets and Korean-American poets, said the two recipients of a translation award. “(Choi Don-mee) had a vision of connecting Korean women poets and Korean American women poets to translate their poems,” poet-translator Marci Calabretta Cancia-Bello said during a press conference hel

The novel series “Uncanny Convenience Store” by Kim Ho-yeon has topped this year’s bestsellers lists in Korea. The two-volume series ranked number one on the 2022 bestseller charts for Kyobo Book Center, the biggest bookstore chain in Korea, and Yes24, Korea's largest online book retailer. In November, the two-volume series sold a combined 1 million copies, according to publisher Namu Bench. It is the third to do so since 2020, following Lee Mi-ye’s fantasy series &l

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced the winners of the 2022 Korea Translation Award on Monday, with four translators winning grand prizes under newly revised criteria for this year. This year’s grand prizes were awarded to Koh Eun-ji -- who also writes under the pen name E. J. Koh -- and Marci Calabretta Cancia-Bello for their English translation of poet Yi Won’s “The World's Lightest Motorcycle”; Yu Hsin Hsin for her Chinese translation of Lee Ta

Poet Kim joins poet and translator Choi Don-mee in the awardee list

“Korean Art 1900-2020” Published by National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea Since the 1900s Korea has had a turbulent history -- looking back at the Japanese colonial era, Korean War and rapid industrialization within the country -- Korean society has always had to keep pace with these changes. The book “Korean Art 1900-2020,” newly published in English by the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, shows how Korean art has evolved in its own way

The Literature Translation Institute of Korea on Monday announced the launch of Korea Literature Wave, an online platform linking the country’s literature and the global market. “Even though the interest in translation and Korean literature is growing, overseas publishers do not necessarily know which works to purchase, while domestic publishers do not know to whom they can sell,” Kwak Hyo-hwan, president of the LTI Korea, said during a press conference on Monday. “We h

Former head of CHA completes Seoul edition of iconic bestseller series ‘My Exploration of Cultural Heritage’

South Korean publishers are returning to the Frankfurt Book Fair with the Korean Pavilion for the first time since 2019. The Korean Publishers Association will present 24 Korean publishing houses including the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, NE Books and Darakwon at the collective stand that was inspired by the concept of “home.” “Home was where you separated from others to protect yourself from external risks during the pandemic. This time, we wanted to look at &ldq

Observations from hospital beds offer glimpse into what death means to Koreans

Kim Jae, the translator of Lee Young-ju’s “Cold Candies,” received an award from the American Literary Translators Association, according to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, which supported the translation, on Friday. Named after a poet and translator of Buddhist literature, the Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize by the ALTA recognizes the importance of Asian translations for international literature and has been promoting the translation of Asian works into E

A two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist’s book on Korean culture and heritage is set to hit the shelves on Sept. 30. “Visual History of Korea” by Hyungwon Kang introduces 25 aspects of Korea’s cultural heritage. The 208-page book features photographs that capture the beauty of Korea’s unique culture and history through the lens of a visual storyteller, accompanied by writings in English and Korean. “A photo has the power to tell stories and communica

Former President Moon Jae-in’s latest book recommendation “Utmost and Personal Nepal” has shot up on the bestseller’s list, showing once again the former leader’s formidable influence on many people’s reading choices. “Utmost and Personal Nepal,” co-written by Sujan Shakya and Hong Sung-kwang, is the eighth book he has recommended since leaving the Blue House in May. “The greeting ‘Namaste’ means ‘The god in me respects the

Leading writers from around the world are convening at the Seoul International Writers’ Festival, scheduled to kick off Friday. A total of 35 writers -- including 12 from eight foreign countries -- will take part in this year’s festival, held under the theme of "Beyond Narrative." The eight-day festival will offer reading sessions as well as conversations between writers and literary critics, exploring the boundaries of genre and language with the readers. The festival will

'Are people’s quality of life and happiness proportional to economic growth?'