Late author Park’s life and works once again under spotlight

Special edition Park Wan-suh novels hit bookstores a year after her death


It’s been exactly a year since the death of celebrated author Park Wan-suh, but her works continue to appeal to readers, scholars and even theater producers.

Commemorating the one-year anniversary of her death, the month of January has been filled with Park Wan-suh themed events and publications. Leading publishing houses have been releasing special editions of her works, while the performing arts scene is celebrating her short stories as theatrical plays. Meanwhile, a scholarship fund has been launched in the late author’s name. 

On Jan. 20, Munhakdongne Publishing Group released “A Long Day,” an anthology of Park’s six short stories. Among the six, three were selected by celebrated writers Shin Kyung-sook and Kim Ae-ran, as well as literary critic Shin Hyeong-cheol.

Shin the critic chose Park’s 1975 work “Camera and Working Boots,” which tells a story of a woman who fails to raise her war-orphaned nephew the way she wants, and said Park’s works are exceptional for a number of reasons.

“Exceptional stories prove that some things in this world can only be done by the power of literature,” he said. “Park’s novels clearly do this well, and her confidence as a writer had a lot to do with it while she was alive.”

Shin the author, well-known for the international success of her novel “Please Look After Mom,” chose Park’s 1993 work “Naui Gajang Najong Jinin Geot,” a story of a mother whose beloved son is killed during a violent student protest in the 1980s. 

The story, written in first-person, reflects Park’s own painful experience losing her husband and son all in the same year of 1988. Her son, who was a medical student at the time, suddenly died of fatigue that August, only three months after his father’s death.

Publishing house Segyesa, on the other hand, released their new 22 volume series which chronicles a total of 15 short and long pieces written by Park from 1970 to 2004, while Youlhwadang published her debut novel, “Namok,” as 500-volume limited editions this month.

Essayist Ho Won-sook, who is also the late author’s daughter, participated in Segyesa’s newly published series project.

Park’s short stories have been staged as a theatrical play earlier this month. Sundol Theater in Daehangno showcased “Park Wan-suh: Read by Actors,” featuring four of the author’s literary works: The featured novellas ― “For Solitude,” “Mother and Daughter Tea Time,” “You and the Eight Hats” and “The Pasqueflower of the Combative Days” ― are recited in their entirety by one actor throughout the show, while the other actors and actresses act out what’s happening in the narrative at the same time.

“We wanted the audience to listen to her sentences while watching the play, instead of just experiencing the theater adaptation,” said the show’s promoter. “That’s why we are reciting each novel sentence by sentence. It’s another way of appreciating Park’s works, having her works combined with some fine acting.”

Meanwhile, Seoul National University this month announced a plan for its new scholarship program named after the late author. In April of last year, Park’s family members donated 1.3 billion won to the school whose Korean literature program Park briefly attended before the Korean War broke out. Though Park never continued her studies after the war, she received an honorary doctorate in literature from the school in 2006.

The university said the scholarship will be awarded to two selected humanities scholars every year ― one of the two must be a Ph.D.-holding scholar, while the other will be selected among Ph.D. candidates. The Ph.D.-holding winner will be given 2.5 million won every month for two years, as well as an office or his or her own for research. The Ph.D. candidate winner, on the other hand, will be given 1 million won every month for a year.

“Her family members said Park would’ve done something like this to help the younger generation, if she were alive,” an official from Seoul National University said. “For scholars whose main income comes from research, meeting their living expenses is the most important issue. That’s why we decided to use the donated fund to support scholars who specialize in humanities.”

By Claire Lee
(dyc@heraldcorp.com)