Writers from Canada, US win Nomo awards celebrating Korean diaspora

Three winners of the Nomo Literary Award were announced by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea on Monday.

In the fiction category, Song Ji-young from Canada won for “Assembled Life,” which explores the linguistic, cultural and economic struggles of immigrants, likened to the challenges of assembling furniture.

In the poetry category, Lee Won-jung from the US was recognized for “Telescope for Cherry Tomatoes” and four other poems, praised for the skill in poetically capturing heavy themes through everyday subjects with a strong rhythm.

Ahn Mi-hye from the US took the prize in the essay and nonfiction category for “Cookies With Flowers,” an honest and delicate reflection on the author's experiences and emotions after returning to Korea during the pandemic, according to the LTI Korea.

Winners will each receive 5 million won ($3,700) in prize money and are invited to the awards ceremony in Seoul on Oct. 1. Their works will be published in Nomo, a diaspora-focused webzine.

Now in its second year, the Nomo New Literary Award aims to encourage authors who write in Korean and to discover and support diverse Korean works that reflect the lives and spirit of the diaspora.

This year's competition, open to overseas Koreans without prior literary debut in Korea and foreigners residing in Korea and abroad, received 230 submissions from 25 countries between March 1 and June 30 -- an increase of nearly 200 percent from the previous year, according to an LTI Korea official.

"The winners have demonstrated the universal value of literature through their unique stories from diverse backgrounds," said LTI Korea President Chon Soo-yong. He added that the institute plans to continue supporting diaspora writers and helping them share their voices on the global stage.