2024 was a busy year for Korea-related books in English. Over one hundred books from the year made their way into the LKL Korea Book DataBase, and there were many more that didn’t make the cut. As translated Korean literature becomes ever more prominent in our bookstores, 2024 was, of course, the year in which … [Read More]
anthony.sogang.ac.kr: Brother Anthony's website
Translations available online
- Kim Soom: Birth of a Rat tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2021
- Kim Aeran: The Utility of Landscapes tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2019
- Lee Ze-ha: The Wayfarer Never Rests on the Road tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2016
- Park Wan-suh: That Boy’s House tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2013
- Kwon Ji-ye: Blue Crab Grave tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2012
- Kim Mi-wol: Guide to Seoul Cave tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2011
- Kwon Yeo-sun: Pink Ribbon Days tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2010
- Lee Seung-u: The Storyteller’s Tale tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2010
- Kim Jung-hyuk: Library of Instruments tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2009
- Jo Kyung-ran: Bought a Balloon tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2009
- Ku Hyo-seo: A Bale of Salt tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2008
- Jeong Yi-hyun: Sampung Department Store tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2008
- Park Min-gyu: Korean Standards tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2008
- Jeon Sung-tae: The Forest of Existence tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2007
- Kim In-suk: That Woman’s Autobiography tr Brother Anthony of Taizé 2007
A look back at the books we encountered in 2023
When it comes to fiction, 2023 was a year that defied my expectations. Those novels that I hoped or expected to enjoy turned out to be disappointments; those that I thought might be heavy going turned out to be enjoyable. It was a reminder to try better to abide by the maxim of approaching a … [Read More]
Books and People: a Korean Cornucopia
Brother Anthony of Taizé has donated to the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, his extensive library of nineteenth and early twentieth-century books by foreigners on Korea and will offer comments on selected books and the personalities behind them. Biography Brother Anthony of Taizé (naturalized Korean name An Sonjae) studied Medieval and Modern languages at Oxford. … [Read More]
Overcoming Barriers: Korea in Translation
Brother Anthony (who has been publishing translations of Korean poetry and fiction since 1990) will begin by talking about some of the books by which Korea and its region first became known in centuries past, books that were translated from and into a variety of languages. He will then review the ways in which Korean … [Read More]
A look back at our 2022 reading diary
It was a busy year outside of my Korean interests, with the result that I didn’t read as much as I would like. And of the titles that I did read, I haven’t had a chance yet formally to write up my thoughts – though there are several half-written reviews which may eventually see the … [Read More]
Upcoming literature and fiction titles for 2022
Last year was an amazing one for Korean literature in translation, with plenty of lively titles published. 2022 looks for the moment like it’s going to be a little quieter, but new publications sometimes pop out of nowhere, so this list of anticipated books for this year is almost bound to be proved incomplete. There … [Read More]
A look back at our 2021 reading diary
Looking back at this year, it’s been one of the best for new translations of Korean literature that I can remember. There have been at least ten new fiction titles, and unusually for me I managed to get through all the titles I was intending to. All of them are recommendable in their different ways. … [Read More]
Scottish CKS Distinguished Lecture Series: November talks
The Scottish Centre for Korean Studies has announced its November series of lectures. I’ve yet to find a web page where details in good old-fashioned text can be found, but poster images are posted on their Facebook page, where you can also find registration links for the Zoom meetings. This month we have: Wed 10 … [Read More]
Two recent resources on Korean literature in translation
First, very hot off the press — uploaded to the Taylor & Francis website yesterday — is the Translation Review Korea special. As with most academic publications, this title is phenomenally expensive, so best to consult it via your university library online resources. Here’s the table of contents: Introduction: They Like to Sing and Dance … [Read More]
Literature and poetry in translation titles for 2021: more than a dozen to look forward to!
This is now LKL’s fifth annual post that looks at the literature and fiction titles we’re looking forward to over the coming twelve months. Since last year we’ve made things easier for ourselves by investing some time building a book database that aims to catalogue all physical publications of Korean literature in translation, as well … [Read More]
Gwangju, 40 years on
Brother Anthony is using the time of social distancing to good effect, updating his website with many valuable materials. In readiness for the 40th anniversary of the Gwangju uprising, he has “translated some poems about the victims in Gwangju, written by a poet whose work nobody dares publish” any more. You can find these on … [Read More]
Korea: Divisions and Borders – Wasafiri Special Issue 96 Launch
Thursday 21 February 2019, 18:30 – 21:00 GMT Korean Cultural Centre UK | Grand Buildings | 1-3 Strand | London WC2N 5BW Register via EventBrite South Korea’s transformation as a country over the past sixty years has been nothing short of astonishing, and the nation now ranks amongst the world’s most advanced societies and largest … [Read More]
27 years of translation: Brother Anthony’s poetry talks in London
Brother Anthony’s brief pre-Easter trip to the UK included four talks – in St Andrews, London and Oxford – on themes of poetry translation. Of the two London appearances, one was a detailed hands-on workshop wrestling with a poem by Kim Seung-hee; and the other a wide-ranging talk encompassing the history of the translation of … [Read More]
Brother Anthony’s poetry talks in St Andrews and London
Brother Anthony of Taizé, the noted – and prolific – translator of Korean literature and poetry, is coming to the UK in March and will be appearing at the StAnza International Poetry Festival in St Andrews on 10 March and giving two talks in London on 13 and 15 March. Details below: Past & Present … [Read More]
A look back at some of the books of 2016
To cut to the chase, here are my two books of the year for 2016. For more detail, read on. Literature in translation The world of translated fiction seems to have been dominated by two names this year, one Korean and one British. The Korean name of course is Han Kang. Just as The Vegetarian … [Read More]
Brother Anthony awarded honorary MBE
Congratulations to Brother Anthony of Taizé for his honorary MBE, awarded by ambassador Charles Hay on 2 December at the ambassador’s residence in Seoul. The official citation reads as follows… Brother Seon Jae AN For services to the Royal Asiatic Society and to furthering the study of English Literature in Korea. …but equally we all … [Read More]