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Reading a novel is like facing the world. If you can imagine someone’s world through their story, then reading an author’s first book feels like getting to know a new friend. Their voice—exploring the world through their own language and capturing life and humanity through a unique lens—holds its initial quiver untouched.
We present the five debut works of new writers —three short story collections and two novels— who have brought readers the joy of “reading the world” this year. An interesting fact about these authors is that each persevered in the life of a writer, from their own place and circumstances, long before publication. All their time and experiences melt into their sentences—15 years of working as a weekly and monthly magazine reporter, nine years spent working as an editor, and the mark of their identity they have left through short stories recognized by Young Writers’ Award, Lee Hyo Seok Literary Award, and Changbi Young Adult Literary Award. The sensibilities honed over long life of writing shine brightly for all to see on the stage of their first book.
This may explain why their stories display an unbelievable mastery for new writers. The varied forms and meticulously crafted writing, and the insight of capturing life’s contradictions and beauty surpass expectations.
To share in their beginnings is more than simply reading a book; it is like witnessing the next chapter of Korean literature. For contemporary readers, it is truly a joyous moment to see the possibilities contained within the world that the opening sentence unfolds. We look forward to the future of Korean literature, which will shine even more brightly with the emergence of new literary stars.
Jeong Gi-hyeon’s first short story collection A Person with a Sorrowful Heart has the strength to lift someone out of a breakdown. It doesn’t just hold their hand and pull them up, but it gives them the agency to dust themselves off and stand on their own. The eight stories in Jeong’s collection share the same character names of “Gieun,” “Saemi,” and “Seungju” who lead different lives in each story. The stories make us chuckle, and at the same time, make a part of our hearts throb; they reach out to us, extending a hand. The gentle warmth that lets us understand each other, without having to erase our sadness, reminds us once more of a reason to live today.
Kang Bora said in an unwavering voice, “How beautiful we are, each of us a little strange.” Her collection of seven short stories titled A Landscape with Snake and Cabbage portrays those who struggle to keep their balance. Like a healing itch, confronting shame brings inevitable wavering. The connection and disconnection of characters, who are positioned differently across class, personal taste, generation, gender, create a subtle tension, while the sharp narrative constructions catch the moments of silent scrutiny at the boundary between “me” and “the other.” An inexplicable sense of solidarity arises when readers encounter those who each bear their own scar.
If the world were coming to an end, what should we mark our final moments with? Gong HyunJin’s first short story collection convinces readers to never lose hope even in the face of the end. Her eight daring stories shed a light on the blind spots of contemporary society, prompting readers to question its fundamental contradictions. In doing so, the marginalized, living in isolation, are summoned into the narrative. Gong’s stories, which refuse to look away from reality are all the more precious. Only when we break down boundaries and go forth “together,” holding each other’s hands, can we truly wish one another well, even as we head toward the end.
Clumsiness is only a passing phase. Experience makes us skilled, whether we intend it or not. Even the time of a stand-up comedian, who delights their audience with tightly crafted jokes, passes once their performance is over. Yet, there is a “pretty optimistic kid.” Won So-yun’s autobiographical coming-of-age novel blends her distinct dry humor with sharp insight. Readers, traveling between Won’s childhood of jokes, silence, deviation and growth, and the present day, are naturally invited to think of words to describe their own youth. They can only love the child who has now grown into a respectable adult.
Like the title Sparkle suggests, something that sparkles reveals itself only when it embraces the darkness around it. In a life where believing in good fortune is difficult, dreaming of something brilliant can feel like a luxury. Following an accident, Yuri receives a transplant for her right cornea. She is burdened by the thought that her own happiness is built upon someone else’s misfortune. She decides to run with all her might until she can face the truth that her sudden miracle was born of someone else’s sacrifice. She runs toward the place where light, shaped like snowflakes, seeps in. At the end of the journey in pursuit of one’s dazzling heart, this novel leaves readers with the warmth of believing in miracles once more.
Written by Eugene Ra (Korean Literature Outreach Team)
Translated by Lisa Kim
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