Our regular unscientific seasonal post which recognises some of the people, books, films and events which made 2014 an outstanding year. Personality of the Year This year there seem to have been more anti-heroes than heroes – examples to avoid rather than emulate. Villains we loved to hate this year have included the reclusive photographer, … [Read More]
London Book Fair 2014: Korea Market Focus
Here you can find LKL's coverage of the events during the London Book Fair 2014, at which Korea was the guest of honour. Also included are notices of the various events, reviews of some of the books covered at the Fair, and coverage of events linked to the theme of the Fair.
Writers visiting the Fair itself were Han Kang, Hwang Sok-yong, Hwang Sun-mi, Kim Hyesoon, Kim Insuk, Kim Young-ha, Lee Seung-U, Shin Kyung-sook, Yi Mun-yol and Yoon Tae-ho. Separately, Gong Ji-young came over for the Hay Festival, while Bae Suah and Kim Aeran had residencies in Norwich and Edinburgh respectively. You can find LKL's reviews and coverage of these and other authors (and their translators) by clicking on the links in our Writers directory here.
The 88-page brochure put together by the British Council and LTI Korea can be found on issuu.com here.Gong Ji-young in conversation with Grace Koh
So you thought you were done with the London Book Fair? Think again. As part of the ongoing programme which the British Council reminded us about at the Fair, it’s about more than just the three days in April. For starters, LKL hasn’t finished writing it all up yet… But more importantly Gong Ji-young’s in … [Read More]
London Book Fair – the photo gallery
A collection of some of the photographs of three days at Earls Court (8-10 April) with related events at the Free Word Centre (7 April), British Library (8 April), BAFTA (9 April), Asia House (10 April) and the London Review Bookshop (11 April). Thanks to the organisers and in particular the British Council, LTI Korea … [Read More]
The worrisome wife and the lovechild you never knew – some quotes from London Book Fair
You can rely on a professional writer to come up with some well-honed soundbites, and the 10 authors who came to the London Book Fair were no exception. Even when delivered through an interpreter, they retained their impact. You might have got the impression that some of them were well-rehearsed. But a quote is a … [Read More]
LBF sketch: the snippets which didn’t quite make it…
Sometimes a discussion session is really interesting and you come out of it thinking you’ve get some really good material; and then when you check your notes later there’s just not enough to do a coherent write-up – or the notes don’t make a lot of sense. Or one session might cover the same ground … [Read More]
English PEN video: Hwang Sunmi in conversation with Maya Jaggi
Here is English PEN’s video of Hwang Sun-mi in conversation with Maya Jaggi on the second day of the London Book Fair. The Hen who Dreamed she could Fly is obviously one of the things discussed. Links: English PEN YouTube channel [Read More]
English PEN video: Kim Young-ha in conversation with Krys Lee
Here is English PEN’s video of Kim Young-ha in conversation with Krys Lee on the first day of the London Book Fair: Links: English PEN YouTube channel [Read More]
LBF sketch: Kim In-suk and Kim Young-ha on Migrant Literature and the motivations for writing
A write-up of a fascinating panel session at the London Book Fair with the title Writing Home: Migrant Literature. The write-up below focuses on the part of the session which focused on the work of Kim In-suk. The Long Road is Kim In-suk’s first book, and is one of the only Korean language book on … [Read More]
LBF sketch: Kim Young-ha at the London Book Fair: always adapting to a new environment
Kim Young-ha attended three London events during the this year’s London Book Fair: a conversation with writer Krys Lee on 8 April, a panel session with Kim In-suk and others on 9 April entitled Writing Home: Migrant Literature, and a discussion with Daniel Hahn at the London Review Bookshop on 11 April. The below is a digest of those sessions. Introduction, themes, … [Read More]
LBF sketch: Shin Kyung-sook on what modernity makes us forget
Shin Kyung-sook attended three London events during the this year’s London Book Fair: a conversation with Arifa Akbar on 8 April, a panel session with Han Kang on Families, Relationships and Society on 9 April, and a panel entitled Separations with Krys Lee and Quaisra Shahraz at Asia House on 10 April. The below is a digest … [Read More]
LBF sketch: Yi Mun-yol on fable and allegory in his work
Yi Mun-yol spoke at three London Book Fair events: on Korean Literature Past and Present at the British Library on 8 April; on Allegory and the Literary Imagination on 9 April; and in conversation with Claire Armitstead on 10 April. The below is a digest of those appearances. Grace Koh: Yi Mun-yol’s debut was Son … [Read More]
LBF sketch: Hwang Sok-yong and the burden of history
Like many of his fellow authors at the London Book Fair, Hwang Sok-yong was put to work in at least three events: first at the Free Word Centre on 7 April with author Adam Foulds; then on the first day of the Fair itself he appeared with Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie in a panel session … [Read More]
Book review: Kim In-suk — The Long Road
Kim In-suk: The Long Road Translated by Stephen J Epstein MerwinAsia, 2010, 113pp First published as 먼 길, 1995 When you hear a Korean abroad refer to the locals as “stupid whiteys”, and soon afterwards refer to his fellow countrymen as “mannerless gooks” you know you are dealing with someone who doesn’t feel at ease … [Read More]
LBF sketch: Hwang Sun-mi on following your dreams
LKL reports from two events involving Hwang Sun-mi at the London Book Fair in Earls Court. So you think Hwang Sun-mi’s bestselling book The hen who dreamed she could fly is all about maternal sacrifice? Think again. It could be that you’ve been influenced by the film adaptation Leafie, a hen into the wild. During … [Read More]
LTI Korea video: Yi Mun-yol in conversation with Claire Armitstead
Here is LTI Korea’s video of Yi Mun-yol in conversation with The Guardian‘s Claire Armitstead at the English PEN Literary Salon, Earls Court on the last day of the London Book Fair 2014, 10 April 2014: Links: LTI Korea website | YouTube channel [Read More]
Write-ups of the London Book Fair
Here are some links to articles about the London Book Fair, to which I’ll add as I find more. Ten Korean writers on a country sawn in half, Claire Armitstead, Guardian, 7 April 2014 South Korean lit as proxy for every Korea, past, present, and future, kokkiri comments on the above Guardian article, Subject Object … [Read More]