A write-up of a fascinating panel session at the London Book Fair with the title Writing Home: Migrant Literature. The write-up below focuses on the part of the session which focused on the work of Kim In-suk. The Long Road is Kim In-suk’s first book, and is one of the only Korean language book on … [Read More]
Category: Language & Learning (page 47)
LBF sketch: Kim Young-ha at the London Book Fair: always adapting to a new environment
Kim Young-ha attended three London events during the this year’s London Book Fair: a conversation with writer Krys Lee on 8 April, a panel session with Kim In-suk and others on 9 April entitled Writing Home: Migrant Literature, and a discussion with Daniel Hahn at the London Review Bookshop on 11 April. The below is a digest of those sessions. Introduction, themes, … [Read More]
LBF sketch: Shin Kyung-sook on what modernity makes us forget
Shin Kyung-sook attended three London events during the this year’s London Book Fair: a conversation with Arifa Akbar on 8 April, a panel session with Han Kang on Families, Relationships and Society on 9 April, and a panel entitled Separations with Krys Lee and Quaisra Shahraz at Asia House on 10 April. The below is a digest … [Read More]
LBF sketch: Yi Mun-yol on fable and allegory in his work
Yi Mun-yol spoke at three London Book Fair events: on Korean Literature Past and Present at the British Library on 8 April; on Allegory and the Literary Imagination on 9 April; and in conversation with Claire Armitstead on 10 April. The below is a digest of those appearances. Grace Koh: Yi Mun-yol’s debut was Son … [Read More]
LBF sketch: Hwang Sok-yong and the burden of history
Like many of his fellow authors at the London Book Fair, Hwang Sok-yong was put to work in at least three events: first at the Free Word Centre on 7 April with author Adam Foulds; then on the first day of the Fair itself he appeared with Pakistani author Kamila Shamsie in a panel session … [Read More]
K-Lit Trivia question
Which Korean author is the only person in Korea to have a railway station named after him? A nice little article in the JoongAngDaily about the springtime delights of Chuncheon in Gangwon-do provides the answer. Chuncheon was the birthplace of Kim Yu-jeong (김유정), in January 1908. I can’t say I’m particularly taken with the two … [Read More]
East Asian Screen Studies Symposium at Kings College London
Coinciding with the Chinese Visual Festival 2014, an interesting screen studies symposium is coming our way: East Asian Screen Studies Symposium King’s College London, 16 May 2014 You are invited to register for a free one-day symposium on East Asian Screen Studies at King’s College, London on the 16th May. As you can see below … [Read More]
LBF sketch: Hwang Sun-mi on following your dreams
LKL reports from two events involving Hwang Sun-mi at the London Book Fair in Earls Court. So you think Hwang Sun-mi’s bestselling book The hen who dreamed she could fly is all about maternal sacrifice? Think again. It could be that you’ve been influenced by the film adaptation Leafie, a hen into the wild. During … [Read More]
Podcast: Kim Hyesoon reads at the Poetry Library
For those who decided to go to see Shin Kyung-sook and Krys Lee at Asia House rather than Kim Hyesoon at the Poetry Library, MPT Magazine has kindly recorded the latter event and put it on Soundcloud. “They’re poems that really change your life … completely visceral,” says the moderator, among other things. The event … [Read More]
Exhibition visit: Chun Kwang-young’s Mulberry Mindscapes at Bernard Jacobson Gallery
Somehow, the recent acquisition at the V&A of Chun Kwang-young’s Aggregation10-SE032RED, placed as it is in a glass display case, lacks the impact of the new works by the distinguished artist currently on at Bernard Jacobson Gallery in Cork Street. Because of the glass, you can’t get right up close; and because of the compactness … [Read More]
North Korea: Threat or Bluster? — at Asia House
On paper, this looks rather an odd talk to have at a literature festival: the controversial journalist John Sweeney who accompanied some LSE students on a tour to North Korea in 2013; and the China and North Korea specialist Paul French, who gave a very interesting talk on foreign investment in North Korean industry at … [Read More]
Lee Jung-myung in London to promote The Investigation
Unannounced to any apart from the Korean press, Lee Jung-myung was in town this week with his agent, signing copies of his novel The Investigation (another Kim Chi-young translation). He appeared at Goldsboro Books on Monday night, 7 April – the day before the Book Fair opened. The man behind the counter described the book … [Read More]
Kim Young-ha rounds off the Korea Market Focus events in London
The final event of the Korea Market Focus of London Book Fair 2014 took place last night at the London Review Bookshop near the British Museum – a fascinating and engaging conversation between Kim Young-ha and young British writer, editor and translator Daniel Hahn. Kim is off to Brasilia this weekend for another book event … [Read More]
10 things to read before the London Book Fair
The London Book Fair is nearly upon us, and as you well know: the more you put into something, the more you get out. So here is your preparatory reading (and listening) list: The April edition of Words without Borders: a Korea special, including works by Shin Kyung-sook, Kim Young-ha and Han Kang (all present … [Read More]
Kim Yuna’s Lark of Emergency and other popular classics
Browsing in the Hankyoreh yesterday I came across some charming pictures of Queen Yuna. This particular one, with the famous yellow logo on the CD cover … … got me googling for Deutsche Grammophon compilations of Kim’s backing tracks. And I came across this: Scrolling down to the tracklist I find that the label hasn’t … [Read More]
The BKVA Annual Report 2013-14
The following is the text of the annual report of the British Korean Veterans Association, as presented to the AGM of the newly-named British Korean Society. This is likely to be the last such report, for reasons which will become apparent as you read the following paragraphs. Chairman’s Report to the AGM of the Anglo-Korean … [Read More]