In 2013, Choi Eunyoung received the New Writer’s Award from the literary magazine The World of Writers for her short story “Shoko’s Smile.” In 2016, it was published as the title story of the collection Shoko’s Smile, along with six of her other short stories including “Hanji and Yeongju,” “A Song from Afra,” and “Secret.” In “Shoko’s Smile,” the writer tells the story of characters who are from different countries and speak different languages as they find themselves the object of other people’s hatred and contempt. In language that is clear and unembellished, the stories are intimate portraits of the lives of young women who must struggle with different painful experiences in their lives.
Most people who have read Choi Eun-yeong’s works will agree that her stories are ‘unembellished’. It means that she tells the story in an honest manner without any special literary techniques. However, just because there aren’t any literary techniques on the surface, it’s not that Choi Eun-yeong is not a writer who has honed her writing skills. The reason why Choi Eun-yeong’s works do not show much literary finesse is that it’s not that she’s an unskilled writer, but that she is able to conceal her skills. Another characteristic of Choi Eun-yeong’s writing is her interest in political and social issues.
최은영의 소설을 읽은 사람들은 대부분 그것이 ‘꾸며지지 않은 소설’이라는 데 동의한다. 별다른 기교 없이 담백하게 이야기를 들려준다는 것이다. 특별한 기교가 느껴지지 않는다고 해서 최은영이 글쓰기 훈련을 거치지 않은 작가인 것은 아니다. 최은영의 소설에서 별다른 기교가 느껴지지 않는 것은 그녀가 기교를 사용할 줄 모르는 작가라서가 아니라 반대로 기교를 숨길 줄 아는 작가라서다. 정치·사회적 문제에 대한 관심 역시 최은영 소설의 중요한 특징 중 하나다.
There are no expectations.