Seeing that I invested a bit of time in pulling together some discussion material for the culture panel at the Korea Symposium on 29 September I thought I’d share some of the slides together with the gist of what I was trying to say. I was trying to trace, as objectively as possible, what one … [Read More]
Books and literature
Welcome to LKL’s books and literature section. Here you can find book news and reviews, and listings of events relating to literature.
If you’re new to Korean literature in translation, check out our recommended reading list. Or you can browse our list of reviews of fiction and non-fiction books. Our new Korea Book Database can be found here, and a listing of featured Korean authors here.
You might be interested in our coverage of the 2014 London Book Fair, at which Korea was the guest of honour. Ten Korean authors were flown over to London for the duration. You can find LKL’s reviews and coverage of these and other authors (and their translators) by clicking on the links in our Writers directory which can be found here.
Capitalists Must Starve Launch Party with Park Seolyeon and Anton Hur
Join Tilted Axis Press for the London launch of Capitalists Must Starve, a radical feminist novel by award-winning Korean author Park Seolyeon, translated into English by Anton Hur. Set in 1930s Pyongyang, Capitalists Must Starve follows a young factory worker who leads a historic strike, bringing to life the fierce spirit of women and workers … [Read More]
Anton Hur: Prizing Korean Literature
Join Wasafiri and Anton Hur to explore the future of Korean literature on a global stage and discuss literary prize cultures and translation. Following his essay for the Wasafiri website, ‘We Have Arrived: Anton Hur on Han Kang’s Nobel Win’ – where he brought his trademark wit to reflect on the ‘earthquake’ moment of Han … [Read More]
K-Book Festival: Cheon Seon Ran in Conversation
Join prize-winning author Cheon Seon-Ran for an afternoon of conversation at Foyles about her heartfelt and beautifully told novel, A Thousand Blues. From its perch on top of a pile of junk inside a shed, Coli, a robot with powerful observational qualities, waits patiently for someone to find it. Coli is special among humanoids. This is … [Read More]
K-Book Festival: Min Song-a in Conversation
Webtoon sensation Min Song-a comes to Foyles to talk about her unique and compelling style of storytelling. Since her debut in 2013, Min Song-a has established herself as a distinctive voice in the world of webtoons, admired for her unique character portrayals and stylish storytelling. Her notable works include Nano List, The Girl Next Door, … [Read More]
K-Book Festival: Cookery Lecture with Judy Joo
The acclaimed chef and writer behind Korean Soul Food gives a talk (with samples to taste!) in the Cookery Department at Foyles about K-Quick, her latest acclaimed cookbook. Judy Joo is the chef behind TV shows Judy Joo’s Return to Korea and Korean Food Made Simple and cookbooks Korean Soul Food and K-Quick: Korean Food … [Read More]
An evening with Yun Ko-eun at Waterstones
Spend an evening with Yun Ko-eun celebrating the release of her novel Art on Fire. Yun Ko-eun was born in Seoul in 1980. In 2004, the year she graduated from university, her short story ‘Piercing’ won the Daesan Literary Award for College Students. In 2008, she received the Hankyorek Literature Award for her novel The … [Read More]
SJ Kim and Juhea Kim at Foyles ESEA Lit Fest
The UK’s award-winning East and South East Asian literary festival returns to Foyles Charing Cross Road on Saturday 20 September 2025 for a day of conversation, workshops, book signings and a lunchtime bake sale hosted by Polly Chan’s Bakehouse fundraising for Sesame Organisation. Featured in the Guardian, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle, ESEA Lit Fest is … [Read More]
Three Korean authors at Wimbledon Bookfest
Join three unmissable new voices, Juhea Kim, Ela Lee and Park Seolyeon, as they discuss their ambitious and incisive novels that will challenge and expand your idea of Korean literature. Ela Lee’s Jaded is a searing exploration of race, power and violence, as well as how hope can light up the darkest moments, City of … [Read More]
Bora Chung: The Midnight Timetable
Hear from the author of Cursed Bunny on her new novel, The Midnight Timetable, a masterful work of literary horror from one of our time’s greatest imaginations. Bora Chung, author of the National Book Award finalist and International Booker Prize shortlisted Cursed Bunny, discusses her novel The Midnight Timetable, equal parts bone-chilling, wryly funny and … [Read More]
Hwang Sok-yong: The Voice of a Divided Nation
With a five-decade-long writing career and Korea’s most prestigious literary prizes under his belt, Hwang Sok-yong is unmatched in depicting the social and political realities of his ruptured homeland. A staunch promoter of the arts, he spent years in exile and prison. It’s a rare honour to welcome him to the Festival, discussing his remarkable life and … [Read More]
Brick Lane Bookshop hosts debut double bill featuring Heuijung Hur
Brick Lane Bookshop is thrilled to welcome Heuijung Hur and Rowe Irvin to the store for a special double bill event. Hur will read from their debut collection of genre-defying short stories, Failed Summer Vacation; dreamy, dark, and surreal tales that bend reality and linger in the mind. Irvin presents Life Cycle of a Moth, … [Read More]
Balli Balli – Book Signing and Demo Event
Come and join Korean food writer & chef Da-Hae West for her exciting cookbook taster event. We are so excited to host this delicious session which will be celebrating Da-Hae’s brand new cookbook! Da-Hae will be cooking on the night – which there will be plenty of tasters for you to try: Speedy mooli kimchi … [Read More]
Dislocation & Diaspora – East Asian Poets in Conversation
Join Wasafiri for a poetry reading and panel discussion on dislocation and diaspora with Theophilus Kwek – who will read from his latest collection, Commonwealth (Carcanet, May 2025) – and Suji Kwock Kim, author of Notes from the Divided Country. The evening will be chaired by Wasafiri Associate Editor and poet Jennifer Wong. The three … [Read More]
Jieun Kiaer: Seoul Mothers and the Poetry of Rice
Join Professor Jieun Kiaer for a special evening of storytelling, poetry, and food — an exploration of Korean motherhood, memory, and everyday love. Jieun will talk about her newly released novel Seoul Mothers — a powerful and poignant story of three women navigating parenting, ambition, and identity in contemporary Seoul. She will also share selected … [Read More]
Kim Hyesoon & Will Harris: Autobiography of Death
Join the London Review Bookshop for an evening of poetry with Kim Hyesoon, one South Korea’s foremost poets. Her groundbreaking and radically feminist poetry – ‘a transnational collision of shamanism, Modernism, and feminism’ (Griffin Prize Judges) – has been translated into English by poet Don Mee Choi for over a decade. We celebrate the latest … [Read More]