A great choice of titles for you to review for the 2021 Korean Literature Review content: 2021 UCLan IKSU Korean Literature Review Contest The International Institute of Korean Studies (IKSU) at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is hosting the “2021 Korean Literature Review Contest” in the UK. Korean Literature Review Contest is a new … [Read More]
Author: Bae Suah (배수아 1965-)
Selected publications by Bae Suah
- Untold Night and Day (알려지지 않은 밤과 하루, 2013) tr Deborah Smith, Jonathan Cape 2020
- Milena, Milena, Ecstatic (밀레나 밀레나 황홀한, 2016) tr Deborah Smith, Strangers Press 2019
- North Station (올빼미의 없음, 2010) tr Deborah Smith, Open Letter 2017
- Recitation (서울의 낮은 언덕들, 2011) tr Deborah Smith, Deep Vellum 2017
- A Greater Music (에세이스트의 책상, 2003) tr Deborah Smith, Open Letter 2016
- Nowhere to be Found (철수, 1998) tr Sora Kim-Russell, Amazon Crossing 2015
- Highway with Green Apples (푸른 사과가 있는 국도, 1995) tr Sora Kim-Russell, StoryFront 2014
- Time in Gray (Bi-lingual, Vol 44 – Avant Garde) (회색 時, 2013) tr Andrew James Keast, Chang Chung-hwa, Asia Publishers 2013
A look back at our 2020 reading diary
Like many readers, we started the year with good intention of blitzing through the pile of new titles that were promised for the coming months, as well as making inroads into the backlog. And we genuinely got off to a good start with a string of fun K-thrillers, some of them new, some not: The … [Read More]
Where to start in Korean literature – the skinny version
My somewhat meaty post on Monday was prompted by a request for recommendations from a new acquaintance who knew of my Korean interests. He initially asked for three recommendations, which I found completely impossible – hence Monday’s list of ten authors, with a favoured title by each, plus ten additional titles. But now, having thought … [Read More]
Where to start in Korean translated literature
Note: This article was written in early 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Since then, particularly in 2021, some fantastic translated fiction titles have appeared. We give a round-up of them here. Nevertheless, as of end December 2022 the top ten recommendations below still stand. I do, however, need to edit the choices for … [Read More]
Review: Bae Suah — Untold Night and Day
Bae Suah: Untold Night and Day Translated by Deborah Smith Jonathan Cape 2020, 152pp Originally published as 알려지지 않은 밤과 하루, Jaeumgwa Moeum, 2013 Let me say up-front that I have never regarded myself as a Bae Suah fan. My first encounter with her – Highway with Green Apples – registers in my memory as … [Read More]
Upcoming literature and fiction titles in 2020 [updated]
I’m hoping that, as in previous years, by posting my own list of upcoming literature and fiction titles – pulled together by some targeted searching on Amazon and a trawl through Barbara J Zitwer’s website – I might persuade others to supplement it from their own specialist knowledge. Whatever happens, books inevitably fall through the … [Read More]
Bae Suah in conversation at Foyles
Phillip Kim will be chairing a conversation with Bae Suah as part of Foyles Korean Culture Month 2019. Bae Suah in conversation Friday 25 October 2019, 19:00 – 21:00 Level 6 | Foyles | 107 Charing Cross Road | London WC2H 0DT Tickets: £5 Standard | Book tickets We’re incredibly excited to welcome Bae Suah, … [Read More]
A look back at some of the books of 2017
This year, I haven’t even come close to keeping up with the volume of newly-published literature in translation, let alone the plethora of new non-fiction. Perhaps to balance my feelings of guilt at falling behind the pace of new publications, I’ve tried to make inroads into my guilt pile in respect of previous years – … [Read More]
On reading Han Kang’s White Book by the pool
In general, I tend not to read much literary fiction. If I’m reading stuff which is unrelated to Korea, it’s likely to be either non-fiction or easy reading – a detective story or something reasonably lightweight. When it comes to Korea-related reading, until relatively recently the balance has again been in favour of non-fiction. But … [Read More]
2017 Korean Literature Nights
The KCC’s first Korean Literature Night of 2017 features another of Hwang Sun-mi’s short novels. And this year, the nights don’t clash with the film screenings. 2017 Korean Literature Nights The Korean Literature Night (KLN) is a monthly discussion group, held on the last Wednesday evening of the month (apart from the first meeting), that … [Read More]
Tony’s Reading List plugs Bae Suah
There’s a great article in support of Bae Suah’s Nowhere to be Found (tr Sora Kim-Russell) on Three Percent, by Tony of Tony’s Reading List fame. A year ago he did a review of Nowhere to be Found along with Highway with Green Apples. And in his Three Percent article he passes on this bit of … [Read More]
A timely arrival for the 2015 London Book Fair
Last year there were a couple of translations of Korean novels whose publication was timed to coincide with the London Book Fair. This year, despite Korea no longer being the focus country, the habit seems to be continuing. Bae Suah’s Nowhere to be Found, translated by Sora Kim-Russell, arrived on my doormat today, day 2 … [Read More]
An evening with Bae Suah at SOAS
Another highly recommended event linked to the London Book Fair 2014 cultural programme coordinated by the British Council: Border States and Mother Tongues: an evening with Bae Suah Wednesday 11 June 2014, 17.15-20.00 Room B104 (Brunei Gallery Building, 1st floor), SOAS, University of London, London WC1H 0XG. Bae Suah, currently in residence at Writers’ Centre … [Read More]