"Graiai" By Kim Hye-bin Moonji Publishing The novel "Graiai" begins with a powerful opening as the head of a mummy is unearthed in an Irish peatland. Named “Baek-hee,” the head is confirmed to have Korean ancestry. Why Baek-hee left the Korean Peninsula 2,500 years ago, and the whereabouts of her body remain a mystery. The narrative is divided into three parts: In Part 1, the story centers around Joo-na, a broadcast journalist, investigating the excavation in Ir

"Ghost Duet" By Kim Hyun Hankyoreh Publishing Poet Kim Hyun has been delicately depicting the lives of queer people in Korea. His commitment to social issues is also evident, from his participation in events such as the "304 Recital," a reading event commemorating the 304 victims of the Sewol Ferry disaster, and in a memorial literature recital honoring the victims of last year’s Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon. Kim’s debut short story collection, “Ghost Du

Austrian writer Christoph Ransmayr has been selected as the recipient of the 12th Pak Kyongni Prize, the award’s organizers said Wednesday. This year, a total of 37 nominees were chosen through four rounds of preliminary screening from among 234 novelists from around the world. In June, four writers -- Ransmayr, Cormac McCarthy, Margaret Atwood and Antonio Lobo Antunes -- were nominated as the finalists. The 69-year-old Austrian writer won global recognition with his novel “The Last

US, UK publishers seek next Korean literary gems, emphasize vital role of translators

US, UK publishers seek next Korean literary gems, emphasize vital role of translators

US, UK publishers seek next Korean literary gems, emphasize vital role of translators

American writer Andrew Porter said he is truly surprised and delighted that his debut work, "The Theory of Light and Matter," has resonated with Korean readers after all these years. Porter’s debut work, a collection of stories published in 2008, won several awards, including the Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction. While it was published in Korea in 2011, it wasn't until 2019 that the book received renewed attention after acclaimed Korean author Kim Young-ha intr

On the afternoon of Sept. 10, the third day of the festival, Eun Hee-kyung from South Korea and Andrew Porter from the US met. Although they had never crossed paths before, these literary talents shared a profound appreciation for the written word. Both authors, despite being from different corners of the globe, shared a common thread in their literary portfolios: a dedication to crafting both full-length novels and collections of short stories. For these two writers, the length of a narrative d

The English edition of Bora Chung’s short story collection “Cursed Bunny” has been longlisted in the translated literature category for the 2023 National Book Award in the US. Among the 10 nominations announced on this year's long list, "Cursed Bunny" stands as the sole work originating from Asia. Finalists are to be announced on Oct. 3, with the final winner selection coming on Nov. 15. The English edition of “Cursed Bunny” was translated by Anton Hu

The annual Seoul International Writers’ Festival, organized by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea) kicked off Sept. 8, bringing together 24 Korean and international writers on Nodeulseom, an artificial islet on the Han River in Seoul, for a six-day festival. Under the theme of “Crossing the Bridge of Language,” the 2023 SIWF responded to the heightened sense of isolation and discord brought about by the pandemic. Two captivating storytellers -- Jeong Ji-a

Visiting SIWF, the author discusses post-COVID side effects, career and Korean readers

An insightful conversation unfolded in the middle of the Han River on Nodeulseom on Saturday afternoon between two distinguished female literary figures from Korea and the UK. South Korean poet Jin Eun-young and the Booker Prize-winning Bernardine Evaristo took part in a “One on One” conversation as part of the 2023 Seoul International Writers’ Festival, which kicked off Friday. The two discussed their literature and its connection to society under the theme of “In the Pl

Author of ‘If I Had Your Face’ hopes to transcend outdated tropes, bridge cultures in her children’s book

The Vietnam War officially ended on April 30, 1975. From September 1964, when the South Korean government began to deploy its troops to Vietnam, to March 1973, when it completely withdrew them, the Korean Army fought alongside the US military and allied forces for over eight and a half years. Many young Koreans lost their lives. The same was true for officers who graduated from the Korea Military Academy. Their turbulent wartime experiences have been chronicled in English by Chung Youn-son, a re

A literary magazine originally founded by poet, Buddhist monk and independence activist Han Yong-un (1879-1944), also known by his pen name Manhae, has been relaunched as a poetry-focused quarterly. Yusim was reintroduced with a September issue on Friday, with Kwon Young-min, a literary critic and honorary professor at Seoul National University, serving as the publisher, and poet Shin Dal-ja as the managing editor. “Our magazine aims to uphold the spirit and teachings of Manhae Han Yong-un