K-Content News
How Korean literature speaks to readers across the globe
- December 15, 2020
How Korean literature speaks
to readers across the globe
Updated: 2020-12-11 04:57:52 KST
More and more readers around the world are starting to open up Korean books, as a growing number of them gain global recognition for their literary merit.
'Please Look After Mom' by Shim Kyung-sook was critically acclaimed internationally with the English translation by Chi-young Kim winning the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize. 'The Vegetarian', by Han Kang became the first Korean book to win the Man Booker International Prize in 2016.
Bringing these works to life for a global audience are Korean-to-English translators who are being celebrated for their role that enables readers to immerse themselves in the uniqueness of Korean culture and society.
For a glimpse into how they make this magic happen, I'm joined by two award-winning translators of Korean literature: Jacob Levine, a Poet and Translator who is currently Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Keimyung University.
It's great to see you.
We also have Janet Hong, writer and literary translator joining us from Vancouver, Canada. Wonderful to have you with us.
Jacob: Let's start with your translation of Kim Yi-deum's book of poetry 'Hysteria', which recently became the first-ever book to win both the National Translation Award and the Asian Translation Prize given by the American Literary Translators Association. Congratulations. And it's quite a dramatic piece, and in a way, it seems you would have to really get into the head of the poet who wrote that. What made it compelling for you and how did you translate that into the English language?
Jacob: As a poet, what drew you to Korean poetry? What do you think is striking about it?
Janet: Your translation of 'Bluebeard's First Wife' was recently published and very well received in the U.S., becoming the second Korean book to have made the U.S. weekly news magazine Publishers Weekly's Top 10 Books of 2020 list, following Han Kang's 'The Vegetarian' in 2016. What elements of the story do you think resonate with a global audience?
Janet: What motivates you as you translate and how do you find the character's voice?
To both: How do you deal with wordplay? What are some of the unique challenges in translation that Korean literature presents, compared to those of other cultures?
Jacob: Global readers were fascinated with how 'Please Look After Mom' used a second person perspective, which is rarely done in English literature. What kind of creative or unique expressions do you think are used in Korean literature?
Janet: In addition to stories, you also translate graphic novels. What do you think has made South Korean literature more recognized in recent years, and what works do you hope global readers will discover?
That was Jacob Levine and Janet Hong, joining us from Daegu and Vancouver. Thank you for your time. Daegu)-
(Vancouver)
'Please Look After Mom' by Shim Kyung-sook was critically acclaimed internationally with the English translation by Chi-young Kim winning the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize. 'The Vegetarian', by Han Kang became the first Korean book to win the Man Booker International Prize in 2016.
Bringing these works to life for a global audience are Korean-to-English translators who are being celebrated for their role that enables readers to immerse themselves in the uniqueness of Korean culture and society.
For a glimpse into how they make this magic happen, I'm joined by two award-winning translators of Korean literature: Jacob Levine, a Poet and Translator who is currently Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Keimyung University.
It's great to see you.
We also have Janet Hong, writer and literary translator joining us from Vancouver, Canada. Wonderful to have you with us.
Jacob: Let's start with your translation of Kim Yi-deum's book of poetry 'Hysteria', which recently became the first-ever book to win both the National Translation Award and the Asian Translation Prize given by the American Literary Translators Association. Congratulations. And it's quite a dramatic piece, and in a way, it seems you would have to really get into the head of the poet who wrote that. What made it compelling for you and how did you translate that into the English language?
Jacob: As a poet, what drew you to Korean poetry? What do you think is striking about it?
Janet: Your translation of 'Bluebeard's First Wife' was recently published and very well received in the U.S., becoming the second Korean book to have made the U.S. weekly news magazine Publishers Weekly's Top 10 Books of 2020 list, following Han Kang's 'The Vegetarian' in 2016. What elements of the story do you think resonate with a global audience?
Janet: What motivates you as you translate and how do you find the character's voice?
To both: How do you deal with wordplay? What are some of the unique challenges in translation that Korean literature presents, compared to those of other cultures?
Jacob: Global readers were fascinated with how 'Please Look After Mom' used a second person perspective, which is rarely done in English literature. What kind of creative or unique expressions do you think are used in Korean literature?
Janet: In addition to stories, you also translate graphic novels. What do you think has made South Korean literature more recognized in recent years, and what works do you hope global readers will discover?
That was Jacob Levine and Janet Hong, joining us from Daegu and Vancouver. Thank you for your time. Daegu)-
(Vancouver)
Reporter : osy@arirang.com
