Renowned translator of the International Booker Prize shortlisted novel Cursed Bunny, Anton Hur returns with his debut novel ‘Toward Eternity’. Toward Eternity explores the unexpected consequences of progress, imagining when technology is catching up with biology. It is a thought-provoking novel that challenges the notion of what makes us human—and how love survives even the end … [Read More]
Category: Literature
A Conversation with Cha Inpyo
The Korean Wave is taking the world by storm. K-Pop, K-dramas, K-films, and K-food have all gained immense popularity, and now Korean literature is stepping into the global spotlight. However, there are still limited opportunities for international audiences to discover Korean authors and their works. To bridge this gap, the Faculty of Asian and Middle … [Read More]
SOAS online seminar: Translating the Korean War and the national division: reconstruction of narratives in division fiction in Korea
The Korean War and the national division are important events when discussing Korea’s politics, society and culture. These events continue to affect every aspect of Koreans’ lives in modern Korean society from deep in their consciousness. Division fiction in Korea has been written to testify and remember the dark history of the Korean War and … [Read More]
The rise of Korean sci-fi
There’s a nice feature in yesterday’s Korea Times on the rise of Korean science fiction, with an interview with the leading lights behind the Science Fiction Writers Union of the Republic of Korea. I’ve enjoyed dipping into the collection of K-sci-fi in translation Readymade Bodhisattva that came out last year from Kaya. It whetted my … [Read More]
Kim Un-su interviewed in Korea Times
Anna Jiwon Park has a good interview with Kim Un-su (author of The Plotters, among other things) in the Korea Times this week. It’s a nice leisurely two-page read for the Weekender section, clocking in at 3,000 words. Park has an engaging conversation with him, and makes an interesting observation: His books not only have … [Read More]
Korean Writing Today: Kang Youngsook and Kim Haeyeon
Two Korean authors discuss the Korean literary world at the National Centre for Writing in Norwich, where they are writers in residence this month: Korean Writing Today Tuesday 26 November 2019, 7.30 – 8.30pm National Centre for Writing | Dragon Hall | 115-123 King Street | Norwich NR1 1QE Tickets £5 – includes glass of … [Read More]
Conference news: Conceptions of ‘Life’ and ‘Nature’ in Classical Discourses
SOAS’s Centre of Korean Studies is presenting a one-day conference tomorrow. The event is free and open to the public – no booking is required. Conceptions of ‘Life’ and ‘Nature’ in Classical Discourses 9 October 2015, 10:00 am – 5:30 pm Venue: 21/22 Russell Square Room: T101 and T102 Programme Presentations in Korean will be … [Read More]
Yi Mun-yol on plagiarism and the publishing industry
A good interview with Yi Mun-yol in the Korea JoongAng Daily. A couple of quotes. On recovering from an operation to remove a kidney cancer: It would be so unfortunate to not be able to drink for the rest of my life. I remember how he enjoyed a drink at the London Book Fair… A … [Read More]
KWK Talk: A Korean Literary Evening with Deborah Smith, 4 Aug
One of two discussions on aspects of contemporary Korean culture as part of Kingston Welcomes Korea – the other featuring Colette Balmain on the vengeful ghost in Korean movies. Deborah Smith’s translation credits include Han Kang’s The Vegetarian as well as Ahn Do-hyun’s fable mentioned below. The venue is New Malden Library – conveniently close … [Read More]
A Poetry Evening with Ko Un and Brother Anthony
Ko Un is paying one of his regular visits to the UK in July, with a reading at the KCC on 15 July which follows his appearance at the Ledbury Poetry Festival: A Poetry Evening with Ko Un Ko Un with Brother Anthony of Taizé reading in Korean and English Wednesday 15 July 2015, 7pm … [Read More]
Ko Un and Brother Anthony at the Ledbury Poetry Festival
Ko Un will be appearing at the Ledbury Poetry Festival with Brother Anthony this month, before coming to London: Ko Un and Brother Anthony 12 July 2015, 4.15pm–5.15pm Burgage Hall | Church Lane | Ledbury | Herefordshire HR8 1DW Box office 01531 636 232 | £9 Andrew Motion, in his introduction to First Person Sorrowful, … [Read More]
Shin Kyung-sook seeks to withdraw short story
Wow – this all happened very quickly. On 17 June author Lee Eung-jun wrote an article in Huffington Post Korea (in Korean) accusing Shin Kyung-sook of plagiarism: Shin is “an author whose works are often accused of plagiarism” and that he decided to risk his career by publishing the article as he wanted the allegations … [Read More]
A week-long programme of films based on Korean novels at SOAS
April is the month of the London Book Fair (14-16 April at Olympia). Last year Korea was the market focus, an honour assumed by Mexico this year. But the Korea Publishers Association, LTI Korea and other bodies will be attending to fly the flag for Korea. To remind us of the fun we had last … [Read More]
Google Korea remembers Hwang Sun-won
Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of Hwang Sun-won’s birth on 26 March, 1915. Google Korea celebrated with one of their doodles, illustrating Hwang’s most well-known story, The Shower (소나기, 1959). The story was adapted as a movie by Lee Jin-mo in 1978; and Studio Meditation with Pencil is currently working on an animated version, which … [Read More]
Controversy in Korean Literature: Hailji on Road to the Racetrack
What a great way to warm up for the London Korean Film Festival. Artist Talk: Think !n Literature Film Screening & Talk: Controversy in Korean Literature Wednesday 5 November │ 18:30-23:00 │ Korean Cultural Centre UK │ Speaker: Hailji, Author The Road to Racetrack RSVP to KCCUK on 0207 004 2600 or [email protected] We cordially … [Read More]
LKL’s latest must-see film of the LKFF 2014: The Road Called Life
It’s taking a while to go through the LKFF 2014 programme to prioritise those films which I simply *have* to go to see. So thanks to Frances Yoo from Studio Meditation with a Pencil for alerting me to the title that instantly has gone from “when I get round to it, I’ll look to see … [Read More]