Shin Kyung-sook’s Where the Harmonium Was is an excellent short story that could be recommended to almost anyone. Published in 1993 it tells the story of a woman who is haunted by 10 days of her life when she was “six or seven”, the 10 days, after her mother deserted the family that another woman,…
Mostly of interest to me because there are a couple of shots of Shin being interviewed that are in the same coffee shop in which I met her for my interview and photo shoot for 10 Magazine Asia. I think Shin likes that coffee shop.^^ In interests of full disclosure, Shin did buy my coffee…
First, an article in the New York Times about Shin in general, which mentions the next novel: “I Will Be Right There,” about friendship and love set in the country’s political turmoil of the 1980s But an even better preview of the novel (which is due to be published next spring) can be found on…
The Korea Herald notes that Asia Publishers has just put out a 15-volume bilingual Korean literature series, titled Bi-lingual Edition Modern Korean Literature. But it seems to feature all the usual suspects and previously translated works. Really? This is getting past ridiculous. I suppose the defense will be that this volume is for “Korean Studies” courses,…
As readers likely recall, Shin Kyung-sook won last year’s Man Asia Literary Prize, and by doing so became the first woman and first Korean to do so. I’ve received an email from the Prize, and they’re telling me that they would still be happy to accept more submissions from publishers who published a Korean translation…
A quick 8-minute film from Arirang. It doesn’t show up in the subtitles of Koreans speaking but listen for the guy who can’t help but add “Fighting!” to the end of his comment.^^ Amusingly, Arirang also calls the book “Please Look After Mum,” which I’m guessing is a gloss on the US title, “Please Look…
This is a project I’m glad to say KTLIT had a hand in. We talked to the Review as they were planning things (actually, we also met them in Seoul and their posh Hong Kong offices!), and KTLIT provided the team that interviewed (and translated the interview) with Shin Kyung-Sook. This volume is a treasure-trove…
NOTE: This is from my piece in 10 Magazine, to which you should immediately subscribe! In person, Shin Kyung-sook is modest and restrained, but there has been nothing modest or restrained about the success of her book Please Look After Mom(엄마를 부탁해). The book was named an Amazon top-10 book of the year while entering…
1) First the news that she won. Shin Kyung-sook, author of the international bestseller Please Look After Mom, has been awarded the Royal Salute “Mark of Respect” award. The award was one I didn’t even know existed (and I found the following information on the excellent Subject, Object, Verb): “Every year, Pernod Ricard Korea selects someone…
Some important words of wisdom.^^ I discuss Shin Kyung-sook’s victory in the Man Asia Literary Prize, long-listing for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, what it means for Korean literature, and the Amazon Ripple Effect (trademark pending!^^). https://www.ktlit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/120320_CharlesM.mp3 for download or iPod