Pak Kyongni Prize winner Sylvie Germain laments tragedy of global conflict

Acclaimed French writer Sylvie Germain, known for her profound exploration of eras marked by violence and turmoil, including the Franco-Prussian War and the Algerian War, said it’s “disheartening” to see the current global situation, particularly the conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.

“It’s tragic that humanity hasn’t learned from history, and we continue to see the same situations recur. The violence and destruction caused by war are deeply concerning.”

The 70-year-old French novelist and the recipient of this year's Pak Kyongni Prize shared these thoughts during a press conference in Seoul.

"In Europe, there's a growing tendency to hide and avoid discussions about Nazism. I've heard there's a similar historical atmosphere in Korea,” said Germain.

After delving into the philosophical implications of evil in her philosophy dissertation, Germain turned to fiction with her 1985 debut novel “The Book of Nights,” which won multiple prestigious awards, including the Prix Femina. To date, she has published over 40 works and received numerous accolades.

The jury of the 13th Pak Kyongni Prize unanimously chose Germain as the winner, praising her work for “confronting the harsh realities of suffering and evil facing humanity while relentlessly pursuing the possibilities of life and hope.”

In an era where literature is often sidelined, Germain emphasized its enduring importance: “Through literature, we can explore the complexities of the human mind, the unsolved mysteries of existence and the essence of humanity.”

On her creative process, Germain explained, “I haven’t forced myself to write -- rather, I quietly wait for my characters to come to me. Writing a novel is an adventure, not a planned task. It’s a process of discovery each time.”

Visiting Korea for the first time, Germain admitted she had not known much about Korean literature before winning the Pak Kyongni Prize. After the honor was announced, she sought out Korean literary works and discovered that few had been translated into French.

“Not much Korean literature has been introduced in France. I particularly love poetry, and while I don’t know Korean well, I can tell whether a poem is well-translated. Unfortunately, the poetry collection I found was poorly translated, which was very disappointing,” she said.

“A lot of work is needed to promote Korean literature internationally, but I believe it can achieve recognition similar to that of Korean cinema, which is very popular in Europe.”

Earlier, Germain began the press conference with words of congratulation for Korean writer Han Kang on her recent Nobel Prize win.

“The Nobel Prize provides a great opportunity to discover authors who weren’t well-known before. I only learned about Tomas Transtromer after he won the Nobel Prize in 2011, and then I read his work. Now that I know about Han Kang, I must read her work.”

She also expressed regret that the Pak Kyongni Prize, which honors writers worldwide, is not widely recognized in France. When she asked her publishers at Gallimard and Albin Michel, both well-established publishing houses in France, they told her that they had never heard of it.

“Previous winners of the Pak Kyongni Prize include renowned authors such as Amos Oz, Lyudmila Ulitskaya and Ismail Kadare, all of whom represent their country's literature. I hope these facts will become more widely known in France in the future,” Germain added.

“I’ve been deeply moved by works written in other languages, and it’s an honor to know that there are readers who appreciate my works in translation.”

The interview was conducted in French with Korean interpretation.

The Pak Kyongni Prize, co-organized by the Toji Cultural Foundation and Wonju City, is an international literary award established in 2011 to honor the legacy of novelist Pak Kyong-ni (1926-2008), best known for her monumental saga "Toji (The Land)."

The award carries a cash prize of 100 million won ($75,200).

Germain is scheduled to meet with readers in Wonju, Gangwon Province, on Saturday, and in Seoul, on Tuesday.