Sok-Yong Hwang

‘Hwang Sok-yong is undoubtedly the most powerful voice of the novel in East Asia today.’ Kenzaburo Oe

Born in 1943 Hwang Sok-yong is arguably Korea’s most renowned author. In 1993, he was sentenced to seven years in prison for an unauthorised trip to the North to promote exchange between artists in North and South Korea. Five years later, he was released on a special pardon by the new president.

He is the recipient of Korea’s highest literary prizes including the Manhae Literary Prize, the Danjae Literary Prize, the Isan Literary Prize, the Daesan Literature Prize for THE GUEST, the Manhae Literary Award Grand Prize, the Korea Culture and Arts Foundation ‘This Year’s’ Art Prize, the Mark of Respect Award and was shortlisted for the Prix Femina Etranger. His novel THE ROAD TO SAMPO (1973) was made into a successful film and has recently been reissued in French by Editions Philippe Picquier. His multi-volume epic JANG GILSAN, serialised in a daily newspaper (1974-84), uses the parable of a medieval bandit to foil the censors. A huge success in North as well as South Korea, it has sold over a million copies and remains a bestseller in Korean fiction today. His novel AT DUSK won the Emile Guimet Prize and was shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize and his novels FAMILIAR THINGS, PRINCESS BARI, SHIM CHUNG, THE ANCIENT GARDEN, SHADOW OF ARMS have all be published to great acclaim all over the world.

‘The author proves in a downright brilliant way, again and again, why he is seen in Korea as one of the most important national writers.’ Le Monde