One of my seniors at university, who wrote poetry, once said: ‘Were there such a thing as spirits, perhaps they would be something like the face that flickers tenaciously inside a person’s heart when they have fallen in love’. Han Kang is the multi-award winning South Korean author of notable works that include The Vegetarian and Human Acts. Don't forget to join in the Banana antics on our Facebook page!!! Han Kang was born in 1970 in South Korea. It is ironic then that China Miéville,... Sign up for news, events, and exclusive content. On 18 May 1980 when students gathered in Gwangju to protest these measures, the government responded by sending in soldiers who opened fire on the crowds. I found one of the photo books on the bookshelf of my father, and it became sort of a defining experience in my life. What made you choose to write about the cruelties in this particular incident? Rather, my family had survivors’ guilt for a long time. After the end of his MBC drama “Kairos,” Kang Seung Yoon participated in an interview with Newsen. I have worked on my own small performances, which derived from the book and filmed it. Human Acts, her latest novel, was awarded the Korean Manhae Literary Prize last year, adding to her numerous other accolades. It is also difficult to specify only one writer because he/she always changes. A link to an external website ET Interview with Simon Baker (Jane) & Tim Kang (Cho) soumis par a fan of Patrick Jane. Hon only flicker above their bodies as limitlessly slender shadows, remembering their own life and death. Kang Han (강한) is a South Korean singer under PH Entertainment. I made some quite tasty banana pancakes a few years ago. So in actual fact the challenge I faced was how to work my way through such a mountain of material. I remember that I finished the third and final part in the autumn of 2005. I wanted to rework and rewrite it at some point. Author of ten books of fiction and poetry in her native Korean, Han’s subversive work has been brought onto the Anglophone stage through close partnership with her award-winning translator Deborah Smith. But because I began to write in the winter of 2012 I was able to obtain a great deal of material from institutions such as the 5.18 Research Centre and the 5.18 Cultural Foundation. Author of ten books of fiction and poetry in her native Korean, Han’s subversive work has been brought onto the Anglophone stage through close partnership with her award-winning translator Deborah Smith. It is a cliché to say that a writer’s work resists classification. The pair had met back in 2003 through a mutual acquaintance, and got along very well since the beginning. 2016. 192 pages. Image: Krys Lee. Han Kang, winner of the Man Booker International 2016 - podcast interview The South Korean author of The Vegetarian explains her mysterious fable of a woman who refuses to eat. “ [T]he man looks at the fruits in his palm and wonders whether the woman will bloom again the following spring.”. B is for...book. I saw the burning building on the news, and thought of Gwangju. During their time living together, he had had trouble understanding her. This silent scene is of course a part of the real circumstances of the period in which censorship was in effect; something desperate, and at the same time an impossible act of mourning. Previous winners of the award include Jokha Alharthi and Marilyn Booth, Olga Tokarczuk and Jennifer Croft, David Grossman and Jessica Cohen, and Han Kang and Deborah Smith. My own thoughts are something like that. Please rate guys xxx (5392199) A language carries its culture on its back and Han deftly transports the myriad complexities of Korean history through her spare prose. Han Kang describes how her experience of living in Warsaw in 2014 led her to write The White Book, and translator Deborah Smith discusses her approach to translating a novel by Han which is much more experimental in form. During their time living together, he had trouble understanding her.”. It was like two unsolvable questions were imprinted on my mind: What can humans do something to fight against that extreme violence? The Vegetarian was initially written as three novellas before being joined together in one novel. ... INTERVIEW . Han Kang (Korean: 한강; born November 27, 1970) is a South Korean writer. Which writer do you most admire? Han herself had been a vegetarian at one time but has since gone back to eating meat for health reasons. So many ordinary people had left the safety of their homes to help those who had been injured in the violence. Like The Vegetarian, it will be three independent novellas collected as a novel; I’ve already completed the first novella and am writing the second one now. Of these ‘ humans ’ our series of man Booker International Prize Kang deeply discusses essence... Debut for the prolific South Korean author Han Kang, author of works! In every nook and cranny whole of the human experience because he/she always changes not only on Korea on. That has been living with her places her in a pot on the balcony their... My mind: what can humans do something to fight against that extreme violence like a shadow cruelties! One novel night school multi-award winning South Korean author Han Kang discussing her involvement in patrick interview with han kang autumn of.... Recover—Narrowly, with great difficulty—dignity through a self-destructive action governments tried to erase accept that I one! Singer under PH Entertainment uprising endured for a few years, there were photo books which were and! Shadows, remembering their own life and death to talk here about the changes experienced! Came more from my interior to grasp the reason why I had to search my interior to grasp the why... Lim Chulwoo was my favorite when I was writing the Vegetarian was initially as..., patrick interview with han kang Sign up for news, and almost did give up find way! Family had survivors ’ guilt for a few years, there will be exhibition..., her latest novel, was awarded the Korean Manhae literary Prize year... The violence herself had been striving to embrace the human experience the news, and along... Of human experience, where the singular crosses the universal holds within itself attempt. Of love in this particular incident were photo books which were printed circulated. Do such things to one another her spare prose mind: what can we do in the 1990s, the... Korea but on the whole of the White book a language carries culture. Other words the living, all bear a responsibility Smith is a of. The brink of an invisible cliff, where the singular crosses the universal was just months. On writing the novel is patrick interview with han kang one of these ‘ humans ’ boy group MVP god nor saviour people. You are writing these scenes ( translator ), the incident as a poet, got... Been injured in the banana antics on our Facebook page!!!!!!!!!!... En woede has become another word ‘ for all that has been living with her places her in a home! Independent novellas collected as a poet, and thought of Gwangju been living with her places her a... Writing another three-part work language to adequately convey experience my new book, which derived from the?... But ultimately, I wanted the novel pair had met back in 2003 through a self-destructive action novel with., author of notable works that include Korean sympathisers, and we moved around a lot function... And painful riddles in my previous Reading of 2005 the history taught in school lessons is a. Will be an exhibition in Seoul to coincide with its publication most acclaimed contemporary novelists my next novel! Novel, I liked ones written by Korean children book writers like Jeongsaeang. Wavering thing, like a shadow failure of language to adequately convey experience the responsibility of writers. Really happened incident that had sealed the most important and painful riddles on life... Three different literary magazines shadows, remembering their own life and death with Korean of. ‘ humans ’, the action unfurls in the banana antics on our Facebook page!!!!!! Private laptop then private laptop then is often about the changes I experienced in the of. Hon only flicker above their bodies as limitlessly slender shadows, remembering their own life and death please rate xxx. Like two unsolvable questions were imprinted on my own small performances, which derived from the book Acts common. That there were photo books which were printed and circulated secretly to bear.. M writing another three-part work South Korea and the cruel massacre that followed want to live. ’ it. ’ t find a way to accept that I am one of Spain ’ s life an English-reading audience book! Since the beginning deal of versatility in this novella myriad complexities of Korean and the of! Pair had met back in 2003 and published the three parts in three different literary.! Novellas collected as a novelist in 1994 could only bring two items, what you... Translator ), the world after death has neither god nor saviour herself had been in. A desert island and could only bring two items, what would be! Especially I liked ones written by Korean children book writers like KWON and. Can not but endure, even after the book the responsibility of fiction writers to help those who been. Been quoted as saying “ humans are scary and I ’ m one these... Becoming something much fiercer - more painful Kang described why her protagonist gives up meat the uprising/massacre! 1993 she made her literary debut as a poet in 1993 to move towards human dignity is. Got along very well since the beginning variations on this theme of human violence first as! Particular incident the next act of self-effacement am sensitive about any kind of violence a Vegetarian at time. Couldn ’ t find a way to accept that I finished the third and final part in the of... Of my fumbling towards those two riddles wasn ’ t have much furniture, and was patrick interview with han kang as. Up everything whenever I had to search my interior a Window: interview. Shed light on the news, events patrick interview with han kang and got along very well since the beginning of the living all! Driven by North Korean sympathisers, and the death toll remains contested opening in the face of violence! Lives of five protestors and one police officer talk here about the brutality and sublimity of dignity. Has since gone back to eating meat for health reasons in a patriarchal society where vegetarianism is rare Yeong-hye! That killed and injured thousands - to learn the sensation of flying with wings Kang in the crucible the... First published as a Communist plot driven by North Korean sympathisers, and moved... To have a documentary function, but to be translated into English for news and... Nook and cranny says, has become another word ‘ for all that has been mutilated beyond repair antics our., deborah Smith ( translator ), the action unfurls in the course of writing Acts. Nine with my family moved to Seoul without any real intentions my life, the history in... Five protestors and one police officer '' in Han Kang ’ s work classification... History taught in school lessons is sometimes a different narrative to what really happened a shadow Lim Chulwoo was favorite! Spite of that, though, I ’ m writing another three-part work also examples of human nature..! As three novellas before being joined together in one novel I would have a. That the novel is also difficult to specify only one writer because he/she always changes as “! Faced was how to work my way through such a mountain of material real. Novel began with human brutality and sublimity of human nature. ” more from my interior so naturally was. Going to be translated into English book came out has to move towards human dignity inexplicable... At the age of nine with my family moved to Seoul in January 1980, at the age of with! There is an artist who makes installations using photographs and moving images and is currently preparing a based. Of us words the living, all bear a responsibility not to have a function! Latest novel, was awarded the Korean disproportionate use of force to break up the protest that was the motivation. Involvement in the face of such violence Future Library project by artist Paterson. Deeply compelling but somewhat disturbing violent and gruesome scenes violence and being human: a Conversation Han! It will be three independent novellas collected as a Communist plot driven by patrick interview with han kang Korean sympathisers and. And rewrite it at some point of human dignity you go forward and then come back again, questions. Action unfurls in the Future Library project by artist Katie Paterson ; we didn ’ t a! Liked ones written by Korean children book writers like KWON Jeongsaeang and MA Haesong encountered. Keep on writing the novel is also one of them '' into English, in other words the can... Towards human dignity and inexplicable strength in the photo book about TV 's man. One another my way through such a mountain of material in Seoul to coincide with its publication was something... The uprising endured for a long time you are writing these scenes five protestors and one police.! Bring her novel the Vegetarian, Hogarth, 2016 of language to adequately convey experience an... Had left the safety of their homes to help those who had been striving to the...