Han Kang says she’s “amazing”. Deborah Levy says she’s “obviously a genius”. And now, congratulations to Deborah Smith for winning The Arts Foundation Literary Translation Award 2016. According to the TLS blog, the award comes with a £10,000 bursary which Deborah plans to use “to fund research into the Korean author Yi Chong-jun” (Your Paradise, … [Read More]
Author: Han Kang (page 2)
Selected publications by Han Kang
- Light and Thread (빛과 실, 2025) tr Emily Yae Won, Maya West, Paige Aniyah Morris, Hamish Hamilton 2026
- We Do Not Part (작별하지 않는다, 2021) tr Emily Yae Won, Penguin 2025
- Greek Lessons (희랍어 시간, 2011) tr Deborah Smith, Emily Yae Won, Penguin 2023
- Europa (에우로파) tr Deborah Smith, Strangers Press 2019
- The White Book (흰, 2016) tr Deborah Smith, Portobello Books 2017
- Human Acts (소년이 온다, 2014) tr Deborah Smith, Portobello Books 2016
- The Vegetarian (채식주의자, 2007) tr Deborah Smith, Portobello Books 2015
- Convalescence (Bi-lingual, Vol 24 – Love and Love Affairs) (회복하는 인간) tr Jeon Seung-hee, Asia Publishers 2013
Short stories in anthologies
- Nostalgic Journey in:
A look back at the books of 2015
In place of our annual “LKL Awards” post, we look at some of the highlights of 2015 in the area of books, film and music. Apart from the field of literature in translation (and of course I’m talking Han Kang here), there are no clear winners or I haven’t covered enough ground to choose one. … [Read More]
Event news: launch of Han Kang’s Human Acts
Three separate opportunities to hear Han Kang talk about her newly-translated book, Human Acts – a Norwich appearance sandwiched in between two London ones. If you can’t wait to get hold of a copy of the book, Foyles (whose event is 13 Jan) claim they have “exclusive availability of Human Acts for a full month … [Read More]
Book review: Han Kang — The Vegetarian
Han Kang: The Vegetarian Translated by Deborah Smith Portobello Books, 2015, 183pp Originally published as 채식주의자, Seoul 2007 Sometimes, reading translated Korean literature can be a bit of a private affair. You read it, you maybe enjoy it and appreciate it, but you think twice about recommending it to a non Koreaphile; or if you … [Read More]
Book news: Han Kang’s Human Acts coming in January 2016
Han Kang is among the eight women writers whose books have been awarded an English PEN grant in the latest round. Han, acclaimed author of The Vegetarian, will publish her novel Human Acts in January 2016 with the backing of both a PEN Promotes and a PEN Translates grant. Deborah Smith once again translates, and … [Read More]
2015 Korean Literature Nights
Here are the Korean Literature Nights scheduled for 2015 at the KCC: Wed 25 Feb The Vegetarian by Han Kang Moderator: Deborah Smith Yeong-hye and her husband are ordinary people. He is an office worker with moderate ambitions and mild manners; she is an uninspired but dutiful wife. The acceptable flatline of their marriage is … [Read More]
Han Kang and Deborah Levy in conversation with Deborah Smith
When Han Kang appeared at an event with Shin Kyung-sook on day 2 of the 2014 London Book Fair we were treated to a sneak preview of the cover artwork of the English translation of The Vegetarian. It was hot off the press: the book’s translator Deborah Smith had been sent some samples that very … [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]
In pictures: London Book Fair, day 2
Day 2 of the London Book Fair, in which: Han Kang said very nice things about her translator (Deborah Smith) and Shin Kyung-sook called hers her “twin soul”; We discovered that Kim Young-ha was about to start writing a historical novel set in the Joseon dynasty, only to find out that Kim Insuk had already … [Read More]
LBF event (Edinburgh) 10 Apr: Edinburgh Reads
The London Book Fair comes to Edinburgh: Edinburgh Reads with Kim Insuk and Han Kang Thursday 10 April, 19.00-20.00 Edinburgh Libraries are delighted to welcome Korean writers Kim Insuk and Han Kang, and Scottish writer Karen Campbell to our Edinburgh Reads programme. Kim Insuk is unique amongst Korean writers as her works often centre on … [Read More]
You’ve seen the film, now read the book
The Korean Film Council recently publicised on its website the new “Book to Film” initiative aimed at bringing together the film and the publishing industries. Of course, the practice adapting a book for the big screen is almost as old as the movie industry itself, and some of South Korea’s most successful movies have been … [Read More]
Lim Woo-seong interview: adapting Han Kang’s inner worlds for the screen
Director Lim Woo-seong discusses adapting Han Kang’s writing for Vegetarian and Scars, exploring trauma, patriarchal violence, desire, religion, and inner conflict. He explains visual strategies, working with actors, sexuality on screen, and portraying psychological wounds that shape identity and relationships. [Read More]
The Vegetarian (채식주의자, 2010) review: a dark, haunting exploration of desire, mental illness and art
The Vegetarian is a brooding, unsettling drama that follows Yeong-hye, a woman whose refusal to eat meat spirals into profound mental and emotional transformation. Anchored by Chae Min-seo’s astounding performance, the film navigates themes of desire, family pressure and artistic obsession, delivering a slow-burning, psychologically intense story that adapts Han Kang’s prize-winning novel [Read More]
Scars (흉터, 2011) review: trauma, identity, and the quiet struggle for selfhood
A dark, in-depth, nuanced dissection of the wounds that make us who we are and the resultant scars that prevent us from becoming the people we want to be, Scars grippingly details one woman’s journey of self-discovery and is guaranteed to leave viewers with thoughts of the scars that have affected their own lives. [Read More]