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]
Translator: Janet Hong
Selected translations
- Hwang Jungeun: Year After Year tr Janet Hong, Open Letter 2024
- Kang Young-sook: Rina tr Janet Hong, Kim Boram, Open Letter 2024
- Ha Seong-nan: Wafers tr Janet Hong, Open Letter 2024
- Kang Young-sook: At Night he Lifts Weights tr Janet Hong, Transit Books 2023
- Anthology: The Penguin Book of Korean Short Stories ed Bruce Fulton, Penguin 2023
- Kwon Yeo-sun: Lemon tr Janet Hong, Head of Zeus, Other Press 2021
- Keum Suk Gendry-Kim: The Waiting tr Janet Hong, Drawn + Quarterly 2021
- Ancco: Nineteen tr Janet Hong, Drawn + Quarterly 2020
- Ma Yeong-shin: Moms tr Janet Hong, Drawn + Quarterly 2020
- Ha Seong-nan: Bluebeard’s First Wife tr Janet Hong, Open Letter 2020
- Hong Yeon-sik: Umma’s Table tr Janet Hong, Drawn + Quarterly 2020
- Keum Suk Gendry-Kim: Grass tr Janet Hong, Drawn + Quarterly 2019
- Han Yujoo: Left’s Right, Right’s Left tr Janet Hong, Strangers Press 2019
- Ha Seong-nan: Flowers of Mold and Other Stories tr Janet Hong, Open Letter 2019
- Ancco: Bad Friends tr Janet Hong, Drawn + Quarterly 2018
- Han Yujoo: The Impossible Fairy Tale tr Janet Hong 2017
- Anthology: Waxen Wings: The ACTA Koreana Anthology of Short Fiction from Korea ed Bruce Fulton, Koryo Press 2011
- Seo Hajin: Hong Gildong tr Janet Hong, Leif Olsen, Jimoondang 2007
Lemon: Janet Hong in conversation with Phillip Kim
This month’s KCC literature event returns to an evening time slot. You can find LKL’s review of the novel here. Lemon Tuesday 26th October 7:00PM-8:30PM (UK time) Register via [email protected] The translator Janet Hong and the moderator Phillip Kim will join us for a live virtual talk about Kwon yeo-sun’s novel ‘Lemon’ Lemon In the … [Read More]
Book review: Kwon Yeo-sun – Lemon
Someone, somewhere, must have done a study of multi-person narratives in Korean fiction – novels which tell the same story (or different episodes involving the same characters) from two or more different perspectives. Two of the best-loved Korean novels in translation use the technique: Please Look After Mother and The Vegetarian. And this year, we’ve … [Read More]
Umma’s Table: Yeon-sik Hong in conversation with Paul Gravett
For the KCC’s August literature event, cartoonist Yeon-sik Hong and the Comics curator Paul Gravett will join for a live virtual talk about Umma’s table. Following the talk, Yeon-sik Hong will respond to questions from the audience. Umma’s Table by Yeon-sik Hong, translated by Janet Hong Yeon-sik Hong in conversation with Comics curator Paul Gravett … [Read More]
Grass: Keum Suk Gendry-Kim in conversation with Janet Hong
July’s literature event organised by the KCCUK features a well-received graphic novel. Author Keum Suk Gendry-Kim and translator Janet Hong will give a live virtual talk about her novel ‘Grass’. Following the talk, author Kim will respond to questions from the audience. Grass by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim, translated by Janet Hong Wednesday 28 July 2021 … [Read More]
Bluebeard’s First Wife: Ha Seong-nan in conversation with Janet Hong
March’s literature event sponsored by the KCC features Ha Seong-nan and her translator Janet Hong. As always, pre-registration is required. Bluebeard’s First Wife Wednesday 24 March 2021 12 noon -1:30pm (GMT) Venue: ZOOM (Online) Entrance Free – Booking Essential Apply to [email protected] with your name and contact details by 15th March. Disasters, accidents, and deaths … [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]
Upcoming literature and fiction titles in 2020 [updated]
I’m hoping that, as in previous years, by posting my own list of upcoming literature and fiction titles – pulled together by some targeted searching on Amazon and a trawl through Barbara J Zitwer’s website – I might persuade others to supplement it from their own specialist knowledge. Whatever happens, books inevitably fall through the … [Read More]
Upcoming literature and fiction titles for 2019
Here’s my first attempt at compiling a list of fiction and poetry titles coming up in 2019. Let me know what I’ve missed. Unlike my separate list of non-fiction I have not exercised any editorial control here: this is everything I have been able to find. The list is in four parts: Modern and contemporary … [Read More]
Book review: Han Yujoo – The Impossible Fairy Tale
Han Yujoo: The Impossible Fairy Tale translated by Janet Hong Graywolf Press, MN, USA 192pp / Tilted Axis Press, UK 352pp / 2017 Originally published as 불가능한 동화 (pub 문학과지성사, 2013) Sometimes, I like having my brain stretched when reading a book: something to get stuck into, to make me think. But there are limits. I … [Read More]
Book review: Waxen Wings
Waxen Wings: The ACTA Koreana Anthology of Short Fiction from Korea Edited by Bruce Fulton Koryo Press, 2011, 238pp There are plenty of anthologies of Korean translated fiction available, and many of them are edited and / or translated by Bruce Fulton, usually with Ju-Chan Fulton involved in the project too. I recently enjoyed the … [Read More]