From South Korea to the World: Korean Literature in Translation

On 17 September the East Asian Translation satellite, led by Dr Cuie Xu and Prof. Martin Ward, hosted a unique symposium on Korean literary translation entitled: From South Korea to the World: Korean Literature in Translation. This event was co-funded by the Literary Translation Institute of Korea and the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies.

Featuringaward-winning Korean authors Kim Keumhee and Hwang Bo-reum, as well as renowned translator of Korean literature Clare Richards and literary scholar Dr Eugene Kim (SOAS), the symposium gave participants the opportunity to hear the authors reading from their works and share their journeys as authors, as well as learn more about the translation of contemporary Korean literature.

Participants commented 'The open and frank answers of the writers to often very personal questions made a deep impression.' and 'The intimacy of the event, I believe, made it more successful than other similar events I have attended. The authors and translator did not feel distant, rather they seemed to be much like each of us passionate attendees in the audience.'