South Korean writer Han Kang has been named the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. The award was given to her "for her richly poetic prose that confronts historical trauma and reveals the fragility of human life." Han Kang is the first Asian woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature and the second Nobel laureate from South Korea. The announcement ceremony can be followed live on the Nobel Committee's website. More information about the writer and her achievements can be found in the press release.
Han Kang was born in Gwangju, South Korea, on November 27, 1970, to writer Han Seung-won. She has lived in Seoul since the age of ten. The writer attended Yonsei University, where she studied Korean literature.
Han Kang's writing career began in 1993, when five of her poems were published in the magazine "Literature and Society." A year later, Han won the Seoul Shinmun Literary Prize for her short story "Scarlet Anchor." Her first collection of short stories, "Love for Yeosu," was published in 1995. Since then, Han has published a number of short stories, essays, poetry collections, and several novels. Her most recent book, "I'm Not Saying Goodbye," was published in 2021. It depicts the Jeju Island uprising that began in 1948 through the eyes of three women.
Han Kang achieved worldwide acclaim with her 2007 novel, The Vegetarian. The book's protagonist decides to stop eating meat, which leads her to face rejection from her family and society. In 2015, The Vegetarian was translated into English to great acclaim from critics and readers. In 2016, the novel won the Man Booker International Prize. However, some scholars considered the English translation of The Vegetarian too free and inaccurate.
In addition to literature, Han Kang is passionate about music and visual arts. She even recorded a music album for her essay collection, "Songs Sung Quietly." Han also teaches creative writing at Seoul University of the Arts.
Han Gan’s novels “The Vegetarian” and “Human Actions” have been translated into Russian.
In 2023, the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Norwegian novelist, playwright, and poet Jon Olav Fosse "for his groundbreaking plays and prose that express the inexpressible." In 2022, the award went to French writer Annie Ernaux. She was recognized "for the courage and clinical precision with which she explores the origins, alienation, and collective limitations of personal memory."
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to the author of "the most significant literary work of idealistic intent." Its first recipient was the French poet and essayist Sully Prudhomme.
