The Korean Cultural Centre UK presents an evening with Jiyoung Han, celebrating her debut novel Honey in the Wound. Jiyoung Han was born in Seoul and raised in the American Midwest, and now lives in San Francisco. A lyrical and suspenseful work, Honey in the Wound follows a Korean family across decades of displacement during … [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.
Ela Lee in conversation with Nicola Dinan
Join the team at Waterstones Islington with Ela Lee, in conversation with Nicola Dinan, to discuss Minbak, a sweeping story of three generations of women who cross continents and decades to find truth, forgiveness and compassion, and an engrossing, heartfelt story of love, loss and the challenges of being true to yourself. Incheon, 1985. A … [Read More]
Honey in the Wound: Jiyoung Han in conversation
Join Waterstones Islington with Jiyoung Han to celebrate the publication of Honey in the Wound, a spellbinding intergenerational epic that spans ninety years of Asian history with visceral power and breathtaking magical realism to explore how colonialism forces one family to transform, and ultimately survive. A sister disappears and returns as a tiger. A mother’s … [Read More]
And the River Drags Her Down: In Conversation with Jihyun Yun & Melinda Salisbury
The Korean Cultural Centre UK presents an evening with Jihyun Yun, exploring her debut novel And the River Drags Her Down. Jihyun Yun is a Korean American writer and the author of the poetry collection Some Are Always Hungry. Her debut novel has been shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. Blending Gothic horror, mystery, … [Read More]
What do you think about Korean literature in translation?
Long story, but I find that I have managed to get myself committed to giving a talk on how Korean literature in translation is received by English-speaking readers. It’s a bit of a tall order. And while I can of course articulate the ways in which I personally am drawn to Korean literature, why I … [Read More]
Book launch: How Korean Corn Dogs Changed My Life
Stanfords London is excited to welcome Alice Amelia to discuss her debut book ‘How Korean Corn Dogs Changed My Life’, in conversation with the Trouble Club’s Zea Stuttaford. An addictive, tell-all memoir which is also a love letter to Korea: the story of a young British K-drama fan who moved to Seoul and unexpectedly became … [Read More]
Book launch: Vestiges of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea
In this book launch event, Remco Breuker, Boudewijn Walraven and Grace Koh will introduce and discuss their recent publication, Vestiges of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea: A Translation of the Samguk yusa. Vestiges of the Three Kingdoms of Ancient Korea (Samguk yusa) is the first annotated English translation of one of the most important premodern … [Read More]
Minbak book launch with Ela Lee
The Korean Cultural Centre UK presents an evening celebrating the publication of Minbak by Ela Lee. Ela Lee was born in 1995 and is a British-Korean-Turkish writer. She studied Law at the University of Oxford and went on to practise as a City lawyer. In 2021, she began work on her debut novel, Jaded, which … [Read More]
Jeong: In Conversation with Hyo Jung Lee and Joe Pickard
The Korean Cultural Centre UK presents an evening celebrating the publication of Jeong: The Spirit of Korean Craft and Design. Author Hyo Jung Lee will be joined by Joe Pickard, Executive Editor at Phaidon Press, for a conversation exploring the concept of jeong — a uniquely Korean term expressing deep affection, emotional connection and attachment … [Read More]
Platforms, AI, and Creative Work: Evidence from the Korean Webtoon Industry
Professor Changkeun Lee from KDI School of Public Policy and Management is visiting UCL to continue their conversation on the impact of AI on various Korean industries. This time, the focus is on the Webtoon industry. His presentation introduces the Korean webtoon industry as a platform-based digital comics market and examines how platform power and … [Read More]
Flashlight: in conversation with Susan Choi
Ahead of the Booker Prize announcement, the Korean Cultural Centre UK is pleased to host a special literary conversation with Susan Choi, Booker Prize–shortlisted author, in discussion with Sarah Howe from Penguin Random House. Together, they will explore Choi’s latest work, Flashlight, reflecting on the themes of creativity, storytelling, and the inspirations that shape her … [Read More]
London Hallyu Festival: the Symposium’s culture panel takes a look at UK Hallyu trends
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]
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]