Writers residency emerging as cultural hub
By Chung Ah-young
The Seoul Art Space Yeonhi, the first and only residency for writers in the city, is gaining a foothold as a nurturing nest for authors and a cultural shelter for its neighbors.
Surrounded by pine, persimmon and chestnut trees, the center first opened on Nov. 5 last year in Yeonhi-dong, western Seoul, supported by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture (SFAC).
The first writer-in-residence program
offers studios for writing, networking and communicating to act as a stronghold of Korean literature as well as proactively contributing to world literature.
It was originally used as the Sisa Compilation Committee building which was designed for research, compilation and education from the 1980s to 2000s.
Since its opening, some 60 writers such as Shin Dal-ja, Eun Hee-kyung and Yoon Dae-nyeong have written works there. The resident authors are required to pay some 40,000 to 80,000 won for three months while foreign authors can use the center free of charge.
So far, six foreign writers have participated in the residency program, beginning with German author Andreas Glaser as the first foreign guest in the residency last year. Other prestigious foreign writers have worked there such as, until recently, German writer Christian Kracht, who is known as a stylist of pop literature.
Interestingly, the space is more actively engaging the local residents to the program. For ordinary citizens, a class for learning how to write poems and novels is offered for 100,000 won, for 13 weeks under the tutorship of veteran authors.
Among other events, a reading program by authors takes place every last Thursday of the month (Sept. 30 this month). At the event, more than 100 citizens have attended to meet authors who introduce their new books and watch performances by artists from other genres to express literature through new mediums.
“The audience can ask questions and the writers answer on the spot. So visitors can meet their favorite authors face-to-face. They really like it,” Ahn Hyun-mi, manager of the center, said. “Also, these days, since the event is held at an outdoor space, it can attract more visitors.”
For this month’s event, poet Jang Seok-nam and novelist Kim Hyun-young will present their new works — “Shine on West of Cheek” and “Love Child” on Sept. 30 at the center’s outdoor stage. “It’s almost like a crossover performance mixing literature with music and theater to help the audience better understand the content of the literary works,” Ahn added.
The center has 20 residency rooms equipped with a bed, desk, bookshelves, bathroom, living room and kitchen — 17 for local authors and three for foreign ones. The writers in residence are provided lodging at the center, for easy access to downtown areas. The center has residence rooms, writing studios, common facilities, a media lab, and recreation and seminar rooms. Guest writers can spend their time in Seoul to seek inspiration for their work and compile research through the city’s literary and cultural scenes. The authors also give lectures or readings as part of the cultural programs. Sixty-four percent of local writers reside in Seoul and the metropolitan area but there are relatively fewer residencies in the city for writers.
Ideally, it will strengthen the foreign writers’ residence programs to create a global network with world-renowned writers.
Ahn said that it has expanded cooperation with the Daesan Culture Foundation, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea and Dankook University’s literature center in order to attract more renowned foreign authors.
“We are planning to invite more esteemed authors from around the world through diverse channels. As much as the center was established for the purpose of advancing the literary works of Korean writers, more rooms are set aside for Korean authors. But through cooperation with other institutions, fans will be able to meet world-renowned authors in the near future,” she said.
Before the writers’ residency in was established in Yeonhi-dong, the only option authors had were centers in rural areas such as the Toji Culture Center in Wonju and the Residency for Writers in Manhae Village in Inje, both in Gangwon Province.
The Seoul Art Space Yeonhi is part of the city’s efforts to transform abandoned spaces into creative places for culture and the arts, along with Art Space Seogyo, Art Space Sindang, Art Space Geumcheon, Art Space Munrae and Art Space Seongbuk, which are primarily dedicated to promoting creative activities in fine arts. The Seoul Art Space Yeonhui is the only center solely for literature in the city.