“A World Without Gyeong-wu” (working title) By Baek Ohn-yu Changbi Publishers In-soo sees ghosts floating like shadows in the corner of his room and every time he sees them, a bone-chilling cold seems to cling to his skin, even though it’s midsummer. He is still suffering from hallucinations and nightmares caused by “the accident” that happened with his gang when he ran away from home 12 years...

“Aoi Garden” By Pyun Hye-young Moonji Publishing Pyun Hye-young, who went on to win the 2017 Shirley Jackson Award for her psychological thriller “The Hole,” has returned to her very first novel, “Aoi Garden.” She has revised her debut collection of nine short stories, which she published 18 years ago in 2005, and invites readers on a literary journey back to where she began. The title piece...

“You Can't Measure a Meter” By Yang Jee-ye Munhakdongne Publishing The Munhakdongne New Writer Award, a prestigious platform for outstanding new writers’ first full-length novels, released its 28th winning novel in late March. Past winners have included the International Booker shortlisted “Whale” by Cheon Myeong-kwan. The judges described the winning title “You Can't Measure a Meter” by Yang...

The novel tells the story of two ordinary people who are brought together during a time of personal suffering. It portrays a man losing his eyesight as his world dims and a woman who has lost her speech. Yet they are drawn to each another and slowly discover a profound sense of unity. The book is Han’s fifth full-length novel, originally published in 2011 by Munhak Dongne, a major publisher in K...

Cheon is the fifth Korean to be nominated for the prize and the third to be shortlisted. Bora Chung's “Cursed Bunny” and Park Sang-young’s “Love in the Big City” were nominated in 2022; Han Kang in 2016 and 2018; and Hwang Sok-yong in 2019. Han won the prize for “The Vegetarian” in 2016. After working as a screenwriter, Cheon made his literary debut with “Frank and I,” a short story. His first f...

South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan's "Whale" has been shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize, one of the three most prestigious literary awards in the world. The British prize was established in 2005 to honor an author and translator equally for a single work of fiction translated into English. The novel, translated by Chi-young Kim and published by Europa Editions on Jan 19, ...

Unique categories of curated books Located near Gyeongbokgung, Boan Books is next to Boan Inn, which opened as an inn in 1936 and became and a literary gathering spot for poets and writers such as Seo Jeong-ju and Kim Dong-ni. The bookstore was built next to the inn in 2017. It has curated books on its second floor, and a lodging facility for a "book stay" on its third and fourth floors. "Each...

Becoming Wind to Survive (working title) By Yu Ga-young Darun On April 16, 2014, Yu Ga-young, a 17-year-old student at Danwon High School recalls the day that shook the nation nine years ago. Yu is one of the 75 who survived the Sewol ferry disaster. The other 325 students did not return. “Everyone was at the cafeteria that morning, and suddenly we realized that the plates and desks were til...

Hello Baby By Kim Eui-kyung EunHaengNaMu Publishing Korea had the lowest birth rate among the OECD member states with a total fertility rate of 0.78 births in 2022, marking the lowest rate since 1970 when it was 4.53. The country continues to report more deaths than births due to its aging population in January. The government has allocated a large budget to address the issue but there is li...

Takoyaki in the Undersea City By Kim Chung-gyul Rabbit Hole What will happen when all the glaciers melt and lands are submerged? Will we be able to survive on water, or in water? A series of six short stories, titled “Takoyaki in the Undersea City,” depicts mankind who survive on water or underwater in a future dystopian world where all the lands have submerged and disappeared. “Adults were ...

Renowned biology professor speaks with 12 fellow Darwinian scholars including Richard Dawkins

“Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better” By Ahn Woo-kyoung, translated by Kim Bo-ram Next Wave Media Step one: Watch a dance clip of BTS’ 2019 megahit “Boy with Luv” -- just six seconds of the easiest choreography moves over and over again. You can watch a slowed down version if you want. Step two: Now it’s your turn to do it. Do you think you have the dance down to do it yourself? ...

“I like (Hornclaw) because she is not perfect. She is someone who can have unhealthy thoughts and noxious emotions. I believe much of the reason for her popularity with readers lies in her incompleteness and undesirableness.” Gu’s “Shatter” is the first book in the WEFIC series, a collection of 50 short stories to be published by Wisdom House between March until February next year.

“The Bookstore of Illusion” (working title) By So Seo-rim Happy Books To You In So Seo-rim’s debut novel “The Bookstore of Illusion,” a mystical world is introduced where a mysterious bookstore can only be found by those who are lost. Here, there is no need to buy a book, plus the owner offers stories to listen to. After a rejection from a publisher while pursuing her dream of becoming an aut...

South Korea will receive the spot light as the Country of Focus at the 2023 Brisbane Writers Festival, scheduled to take place May 10-14, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday. Founded in 1962, the literary festival is held every May in Brisbane, Australia. The Country of Focus program, initiated in 2022 with Aotearoa/New Zealand and Pasifika, celebrates a particular country...