One of Korea’s most famous short stories, Lee Hyo-seok’s Buckwheat Season / When Buckwheat Flowers Bloom (메밀꽃 필 무렵, 1936) is to be brought to the cinema by the creators of Green Days (Korean title 소중한 날의 꿈, 2010). Green Days was LKL’s film of the year 2010 and was the stand-out film at the … [Read More]
Books and literature (page 30)
Book review: Michael Gibb — A Slow Walk through Jeong-dong
Michael Gibb: A Slow Walk through Jeong-dong Illustrations by Ah-young Jung Hollym, 2011, 144pp How can one write a whole book about a stroll down a street tucked in behind the Deoksu Palace? How can one spend a whole day there? Well, in part, the clue is in the title – the walk is slow. … [Read More]
Another book on the DPRK hits the bookshops
I always get depressed when I see a new book on the DPRK, because the DPRK is a depressing subject. Plus, it’s the thought that people are spending their lives trying to figure out this unfathomable regime. It’s the thought that there’s another 500 pages which I feel I ought to read, but which if … [Read More]
Korean authors Shin Kyung-sook and Krys Lee visit Edinburgh Book Fest
We’ve all heard of the Edinburgh International Festival and its fringe; and of the Edinburgh Film Festival. Each year there’s sure to be Korean interest at these events. But this year another festival held at the same time, the Edinburgh Book Festival, together with the World Writers Conference, hosted Korea’s two most famous younger generation … [Read More]
Korea develops taste for British mummy porn
EL James’s Fifty Shades trilogy is being translated into Korean, and Volume 1 immediately became the country’s bestselling novel and e-book, according to the Korea Times, who in common with most others is pretty sniffy about the novels’ quality. How the translator managed to turn a 528 page English book into 780 pages of Korean … [Read More]
Damn! I’ve run out of shelf space
I’ve run out of shelf space, so I have no room for the recently issued Volume 17 (enlarged edition) of Kim Jong-il’s selected works. Now I’ll never get the full set, or find out how to “More Firmly Strengthen Socialist Revolutionary Position by Doing Party Work Well”. [Read More]
John Everard launches “Only Beautiful Please”
Former UK ambassador to Pyongyang John Everard has just launched his book “Only Beautiful Please” at a talk to the Korea Society. He caused a stir by saying North Koreans don’t like the Chinese, which links in with something the defector Kim Joo-il said in a letter to the FT in September 2010: North Koreans … [Read More]
Korean poets perform in London
As part of the South Bank Centre’s Poetry Parnassus, two Korean poets will be appearing later this month in London and elsewhere. The event, part of the Cultural Olympiad, is designed to bring together writers from every Olympic nation for the 2012 celebrations. Representing South Korea is Kim Hye-soon: Kim Hye-soon was one of the … [Read More]
Asia Literary Review Spring Edition is 100% Korean
This month is the Festival of Asian Literature at Asia House. It’s been a strong year for Korean literature, with Shin Kyung-sook winning the Man Asia Literary Prize as well as being longlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Award 2012. There’s an upcoming translation of a novel by Kim Young-ha, and Krys Lee has been … [Read More]
Jo Jung-rae’s Taebaek Mountains to be translated
Fans of Im Kwon-taek’s Taebaek Mountains will be pleased to hear that soon you’ll be able to read an English translation of Jo Jung-rae’s epic novel on which it was based, 태백산맥. More details on the Knowledge Pen website. (Via KTLit). But it could take a while – it’s 10 volumes long. [Read More]
Park Kyung-ni’s tomb in Tongyeong
For peope who like to track down literary landmarks, the tomb of Park Kyung-ni, author of the sweeping epic T’oji (Land) can be found on Mireukdo, Tongyeong, just above a memorial hall dedicated to her life and work. And for those who are short of time (like me), and like to tick off a number … [Read More]
Interview with Krys Lee in the Economist
There’s a Q & A with Krys Lee, author of “Drifting House” in the Economist: All the lonely people. Put the book on your reading list – so far, it’s the book to read this year. http://t.co/uTh7gri8 [Read More]
The Orphan Master’s Son: best left in the orphanage
Adam Johnson: The Orphan Master’s Son Doubleday, 2012 The publication of The Orphan Master’s Son, the second novel by Adam Johnson, had lucky timing, surfing the wave of interest in the North caused by the death of Kim Jong-il. The newspapers duly lined up to review it to general acclaim, but an early battleground formed: … [Read More]
Shin Kyung-sook’s acceptance speech for the Man Asian Literary Prize
What could be more appropriate for Mother’s Day? Shin Kyung-sook’s acceptance speech on winning the Man Asian Literary prize for Please Look After Mother: (via Otherwhere) [Read More]
New zombie fiction on Kindle
Zombie Apocalypse in North Korea http://t.co/0xHqcYQ6, and yet more zombies in Jeollado http://t.co/A4xjsAZx. New ebook offerings for 2012. [Read More]
New book on Kim Ki-duk coming to stores this week
Last year saw the comeback of Kim Ki-duk, winning the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes with Arirang. The release of a new book on one of Korea’s most controversial directors is therefore timely. Coming to Amazon UK this week then, and to Amazon US last month, is a new book on Kim Ki-duk from … [Read More]