Korean author Bae Su-ah has been invited to the PEN World Voices Festival, an annual literary festival underway in New York, LTI Korea said.

Bae is one of about 150 writers from 30 countries who have been invited to the weeklong event, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Two other Korean writers, Hwang Sok-yong and Kim Young-ha, participated in the festival in 2009 and 2011, respectively.

During the festival, Bae will read excerpts from her short story “Highway with Green Apples.” It was translated into English and published in “Day One,” Amazon’s digital literary journal dedicated to short fiction and poetry by emerging writers and translations of non-English literature, in December. She will also read excerpts from her 1998 novel “Cheolsu.”

Born in Seoul in 1965, Bae is considered one of the most unconventional writers in Korea. After graduating from Ewha Womans University with a degree in chemistry, she wrote in her free time as a hobby while working as a government employee at Gimpo International Airport. She made her literary debut in 1993.

Bae’s works are known for her unusual and eccentric characters as well as her distinctive flair. Her 2003 novel, “An Essayist’s Desk,” a tale of love, loss and memories, reads like a series of essays about music, language and art, while using a disruptive narrative.

The PEN World Voices Festival, which began Monday, ends on May 4.

By Claire Lee (dyc@heraldcorp.com)