North Korean Writers in Exile PEN Literature (VOLUME Book 4)

Editor: North Korean Writers in Exile PEN Center
Author: Eom Deok-san, Jeong Bu-mi, Kim Eun-gyeong, Kim Jeong-ae, Kim Seong-min, Lee Ji-myung, Lee Ryong-ha, Lee Yun-seo, Mun Seong-hwi, Nam Jeong-yeon, Song Si-yeon, Yun Yang-gil
Translated by: David Carruth, Elizabeth Black, Gary Rector, Martin Bax, Neil Armstrong, Seongbak Jamie Jin
Publisher: PEN Center, 2017
Link to online store *

North Korean Writers in Exile PEN Center is the 144th member of PEN International. Since defecting from North Korea because of their opposition to the dynastic dictatorship, the members of the center have been creating literature that depicts the harsh reality of North Korea and engaging in various activities to improve conditions there. The single objective of these writers is to improve the human rights of the people of North Korea.

Contains the following:

Short Stories:

Lee Ji-myung: The Old Man’s Gold tr Seongbak Jamie Jin
Nam Jeong-yeon: Winter Promise tr Seongbak Jamie Jin
Song Si-yeon: Mt Chilbo tr David Carruth
Yun Yang-gil: Self-Portrait of a Woman tr Gary Rector
Kim Jeong-ae: The Lady of the Wooden Horse tr Seongbak Jamie Jin

Memoirs / Essays:

Jeong Bu-mi: The Letter I Write in March tr Seongbak Jamie Jin
Lee Yun-seo: There’s No Future for Those who Hesitate tr Neil Armstrong
Nam Jeong-yeon: June tr Seongbak Jamie Jin

Poems:

Kim Seong-min: Full Moon tr David Carruth
Kim Seong-min: I think of my mother tr David Carruth
Mun Seong-hwi: Such Intense Longing tr David Carruth
Mun Seong-hwi: Country of Mine! tr David Carruth
Lee Yun-seo: Our Unification is This Kind of Unification tr David Carruth
Lee Yun-seo: Cosmos tr David Carruth
Lee Yun-seo: Autumn Leaves on Mt September tr David Carruth
Song Si-yeon: Mother, Please tr Elizabeth Black
Kim Eun-gyeong: North Korean Refugee tr Elizabeth Black
Kim Eun-gyeong: That Child, Then tr Elizabeth Black
Kim Eun-gyeong: Kotjebi tr Elizabeth Black
Eom Deok-san: On Chuseok tr Elizabeth Black
Lee Ryong-ha: Journey to the World Beyond tr Elizabeth Black
Lee Ji-myung: Rose of Sharon tr Elizabeth Black

LKL notes that although this eBook is titled “VOLUME Book 4” we haven’t identified any previous volumes of North Korean writing from this source.

Entry on Goodreads.com here.

* Where the book is available from a number of sources, they are prioritised as follows: (1) Amazon UK site, or Bookshop.org for the more recent uploads (2) Amazon US site (3) Other sites in US or Europe, including second-hand outlets (4) LTI Korea, where the title is advertised as available from there (5) Onlines stores in Korea. Links to Bookshop.org and Amazon UK site contain an affiliate code which, should you make a purchase, gives a small commission to LKL at no additional cost to you.