A brief fable that can delight children and adults alike, the story touches on themes of motherly love, discrimination, otherness, and belonging, while also touching on and accepting the harsh realities of life — and death. As the novel starts, we wonder if we are going to be force-fed a heavy political allegory. Sprout, the … [Read More]
Books and literature (page 26)
Book Review: Gong Ji-young — Our Happy Time
Our Happy Time is not the obvious title for a novel in which a three-times attempted suicide goes reluctantly to visit a convicted murderer awaiting execution on death row. But strangely, as the relationship between the well-off former pop star and the prisoner from a poor and broken family gradually builds, the connection between them … [Read More]
Korean Literature Nights: the programme for the year
The schedule for the literature nights at the KCC this year has been announced. The first one booked out within minutes. Booking for Your Republic is Calling You is now open. Date Author Book 26 Feb Shin Kyung-Sook Please Look after Mother (LKL Review) 26 Mar Kim Young-Ha Your Republic is Calling you (LKL Review) … [Read More]
The Korean Novels on Screen Programme at the KCC
The KCC, in conjunction with the British Council, has announced its programme of films inspired by Korean literature. Two and a half of the films have their original stories available in English translation. The ones available in English are The Road to Sampo and Leafie. The half-film is The Scarlet Letter, which is based both … [Read More]
K-Pop Now! by Mark James Russell – coming soon from Tuttle Publishing
At LKL, we loved Mark James Russell’s first book on the Korean entertainment industry, Pop Goes Korea. So we’re looking forward to his follow-up, focusing more narrowly on K-pop, which is due to be launched in April from Tuttle Publishing. It’s already available for preorder on Amazon.co.uk. Below is the official press release, or you … [Read More]
Waterstones stocks up on Hwang Sunmi
Seen at the Waterstones in Canary Wharf today: a pile of Hwang Sunmi’s The Hen who Dreamed She Could Fly. Nice to see that they’re including it in the buy one, get one half price promotion. My neighbourhood bookstore at home rang me today to tell me my own copy had arrived, so I’ll be … [Read More]
Book review: Jung Young-moon — A Chain of Dark Tales
Jung Young-moon: A Chain of Dark Tales Translated by Inrae You & Louis Vinciguerra Stallion Press, 2010, 199pp Originally published in 1998 as 검은 이야기 사슬 Jung Young-moon’s chain of forty-five dark tales are dark indeed. Not in a way that will give you nightmares, but in a way that makes you feel mildly uneasy. They inhabit … [Read More]
How to organise and accommodate an ever-growing library?
When I started this Korean lark over 10 years ago, obviously I didn’t have any books on the subject. Over the years, the collection has been piling up, literally. Translated literature; novels in English by Koreans and by foreigners about Korea; the regrettably necessary section on North Korea; books on Korean art, history, film, music, … [Read More]
Kim Hyesoon’s I’m OK, I’m Pig! upcoming in time for London Book Fair
Kim Hyesoon is the latest author to benefit from the London Book Fair. Kim’s collection of poems I’m OK, I’m Pig! will be forthcoming in April from Bloodaxe Books (the same publishers who brought out Ko Un’s latest collection First Person Sorrowful last year). Kim will be at the London Book Fair, and is the … [Read More]
What to look out for in the run-up to the London Book Fair 2014
The British Council’s and KCCUK’s involvement with the Korea market focus of the London Book Fair will ensure a range of events to examine and promote Korean literature in translation. In fact, the KCC will be focusing on literature all year. And that’s in addition to publishers using the fair as a prompt to publish … [Read More]
KCC launches its Korean Literature Night series
You’ve all read Please Look After Mother by now. What did you think of what is probably the most successful piece of translated Korean fiction ever? If you haven’t read it already, the KCC is granting an amnesty, giving you the opportunity to read it and then discuss it with like-minded people afterwards. It’s part … [Read More]
2014 Korean Literature Nights
Here are the Korean Literature discussion nights that the KCC has lined up for 2014: Wed 26 Feb Please Look After Mother by Shin Kyung-sook Please Look After Mother is the story of So-nyo, a wife and mother, who has lived a life of sacrifice and compromise. In the past she suffered a stroke, leaving … [Read More]
Twinsters featured in Metro
The heartwarming story of two identical twins from Busan being adopted and brought up in separate continents made it into London freesheet the Metro yesterday. Samantha and Anais, having successfully raised $30,000 for phase 1 of an autobiographical documentary project on Kickstarter, are now looking to raise $80,000 for post-production. They are over a quarter … [Read More]
Shin Kyung-sook’s I’ll be Right There arrives in time for London Book Fair
Please Look After Mother was a huge hit, so people must be hopeful that Shin Kyung-sook’s forthcoming I’ll Be Right There will be equally as successful. Available on 10 April (according to Amazon) from Other Press, I’m sure we can expect a launch event linked to the London Book Fair (8-10 April). And as Shin … [Read More]
UK literary editors offer perspectives on Korean publishing
As part of the British Council’s engagement with Korea as focus country for the 2014 London Book Fair, six British literary editors went on a trip to Korea in November 2013. The objectives of the trip were to: Increase mutual understanding of publishing and literature sectors in the UK and Korea Create strong and enduring … [Read More]
British Council announces 10 Korean Authors for London Book Fair
This week the British Council announced the ten Korean Authors that it would be bringing over for the London Book Fair. Their aim was to bring a good mix of names that we might already know from existing translations, and names that have yet to make it into English. We have the following to look … [Read More]