Abstracts are sought for a collection on Korean Horror Cinema to be published by Edinburgh University Press in 2012. Deadline for proposals: 1 December 2010. South Korean cinema is of rapidly increasing international importance, and this collection offers an informative overview of its most appealing, culturally significant and critically fascinating genre: horror. Korean cinema was … [Read More]
Books and literature (page 36)
To the Last Round – a second look
A year ago Jennifer Barclay reviewed Andrew Salmon’s then recently published To the Last Round (TTLR), an account of the epic British stand at the Imjin River in Korea, 1951. She confessed to not being a fan of military history, and though her review was polite you can tell she really didn’t enjoy it. Spurred … [Read More]
1948 Jeju uprising remembered in newly-translated novel
Looks like an interesting new book about to hit UK bookshops on 29 September, from Columbia University Press: The Curious Tale of Mandogi’s Ghost by Kim Sok-pom The Curious Tale of Mandogi’s Ghost incorporates Korean folk tales, ghost stories, and myth into a phenomenal depiction of epic tragedy. Written by a zainichi, a permanent resident … [Read More]
Who Ate Up All The Shinga – a critical essay by Alice Bennell
Alice Bennell, UK winner of last year’s Korean Literature Translation Institute essay contest on “There a Petal Silently Falls”, contributes her entry for this year’s competition. Who Ate Up All the Shinga is an autobiographical novel chronicling the early life of the author, Park Wan-Suh. The Japanese occupation of Korea, and events leading up to … [Read More]
James Church interviewed on Korean Kontext
An interview with the elusive James Church, author of Corpse in the Koryo and the other fun novels in the Inspector O series. Podcast on Korean Kontext. http://bit.ly/cc3GbE # [Read More]
Book Review: Your Republic is Calling You
Kim Young-ha: Your Republic is Calling You Translated by Kim Chi-young Harcourt, 2010. First published in Korean: 2006 Ki-yong, a North Korean agent, has lived undercover in Seoul for half his life. Inactive for the last 10 years, he is suddenly given an order to return home. Is the order a hoax? Is he being … [Read More]
2010 Travel Diary #38: Return to Seoul
The final installments of LKL’s trip to Korea at the beginning of May Saturday 8 May 2010. We are back in Seoul in good time. At the start of the week, I hadn’t known what my Sancheong schedule was going to look like: my friend Kyung-sook had managed to secure an extra day or so … [Read More]
Remembering the Battle of the Imjin at the KCC
“I’ve met Tom Cruise, and now I’ve met Sam Mercer. And when I met Sam I was truly star-struck. The man’s a legend.” So said a member of the audience at the Korean Cultural Centre after an instructive talk by Andrew Salmon on the battle of the Imjin on 15 July. Sam Mercer was sitting … [Read More]
Illusive Utopia reviewed in the Asia Times
Looks like a fascinating book on North Korean arts. Michael Rank reviews “Illusive Utopia” by Suk-young Kim in the Asia Times: http://bit.ly/96S7hq # This impressively researched book examines performance in North Korea in great detail and in its widest sense, from theater and film to visual art and literature and even fashion [Read More]
Mot’s eAeon does trailer for Kim Young-ha novel
Missing the sound of MOT(못)? Wishing Kim Young-ha would write another book? Check out @eaeon‘s trailer for Kim Young-ha’s new novel (Nobody knows) what happened (무슨 일이 일어났는지는 아무도) # (via @indiefulrok, who has the full story here) [Read More]
Mountain walking, Tea Classics and a thriller: three new books
ROK Drop Book Review: Yin Yang Tattoo By Ron McMillan. Looks like a good novel for summer holiday reading. http://bit.ly/9hxn6M # Walk the Baekdu-Daegan: Korea’s mountain backbone: new book on the hiking trail. http://bit.ly/b9cmsu # An article about Brother Anthony (brilliant translator, says KTLit.com) and his new book about tea (not my cuppa!): http://www.ktlit.com/?p=1377 [Read More]
Demick wins Samuel Johnson prize
Congratulations to Barbara Demick for winning the Samuel Johnson Prize for Nothing to Envy (reviewed by LKL here) Through extensive interviews with defectors, Los Angeles Times journalist Barbara Demick shows in a compelling and unforgettable way that this hermetic country is Orwell’s 1984 made reality. Sources: Samuel Johnson Prize website | Guardian # [Read More]
To the Last Round: Andrew Salmon to talk about the Imjin Battle
News of a topical talk to be given at the KCC on 15 July. To the Last Round: The Epic British Stand on the Imjin River, Korea, 1951 By Andrew Salmon Date & Time: Thursday, 15th July 2010 6.30pm Venue: Multi-purpose Hall, Korean Cultural Centre UK Email to [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7004 2600 … [Read More]
An evening with Changrae Lee
LKL reports from the evening with Korean American author Changrae Lee, chaired by Erica Wagner, as part of the Asia House Festival of Asian Literature, 24 May 2010. The Asia House Festival of Asian Literature, now in its fifth year, for the first time included Korean representation this year. With such a title, you might … [Read More]
Struggling with all the Shinga
Well, I just finished this year's essay book (Park Wan-suh’s Who ate all the Shinga?) and it's even harder than last year. Nothing to get your teeth into. And that wasn’t meant to be a pun. Last year’s text at least gave you a challenge in trying to understand it. This year’s adds very little … [Read More]
Brother Anthony translates Until Peonies Bloom
UNTIL PEONIES BLOOM: Brother Anthony brings the complete poems of Kim Yeong-Nang to an English-speaking audience. http://bit.ly/d1TdT0 # [Read More]