The Korea-related literature sessions on the first day of the London Book Fair are set out below. Free admittance, provided you have a pass to the Fair itself. You can register for one on the London Book Fair website.
Writing Literature after History
11.30-12.30
With Hwang Sok-yong, chaired by Grace Koh.
The impact of the Korean War is still evident in present-day Korea, not least with the continued separation between North and South. What is the role of the writer in Korean society – can history be adequately represented in fiction, and what challenges do writers face, both creative and political?
Whitehall Room, Earls Court
Language: Korean and EnglishIn Conversation…
13.00-13.30
Kim Young-ha in conversation with Krys Lee
English PEN Literary Salon, Earls Court
Language: Korean and EnglishIllusions and Reality: Writing the Self
14.30-15.30
Kim Hyesoon, Lee Seung-U and Helen Ivory; Chaired by Michael Hulse
Writing has long been linked to the process of self-creation, as an articulation of the self and a tool for finding and shaping reality. How does language contend with the fissure between reality and ideal?
Is such dissonance a necessary precursor for writing? And how have the rapidly changing social landscapes in the UK and Korea affected our relationship with the written word?
Whitehall Room, Earls Court
Language: Korean and EnglishIn Conversation…
16.00-16.30
Kyung-sook Shin in conversation with Arifa Akbar
English PEN Literary Salon, Earls Court
Language: Korean and English
(automatically generated) Read LKL’s review of this event here.