Nobel laureate releases book about Korea's capital

French writer Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio speaks during a press conference on Dec. 14 at the Korean Publishers Association in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Yonhap

Many faces of Seoul

By Yun Suh-young

French writer Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, otherwise known as J.M.G. Le Clezio, who has won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature, recently published his first novel on Seoul called "Bitna: Under the Sky of Seoul."

In a press conference in Seoul, Thursday, the author said he had always wanted to write a book about Seoul, but had been wondering what to write about.

"I had been traveling to Korea regularly for 10 years and wanted to write something about the city. I thought a travelogue would not be the best option so I decided to write a novel. This novel is based on many real-life stories I heard from people in Seoul during my stay here," the author said.

"One of them is of a North Korean policeman who crossed the border to the South when he was young. His mother carried a pair of doves with her when they defected and said the doves will one day fly back to their homeland. This story says a lot about hope represented by the doves which are a symbol of peace."

In the book, 19-year-old female protagonist Bitna tells five different stories to Salome, a woman on her deathbed. In those stories, Bitna takes readers to various locations in Seoul. They are locations that Le Clezio himself had been to.

"I like to move around the city on my own on the bus, taxi or metro. All I need is a map. It's easier with the metro whereas the bus is more complicated. I like every district of Seoul. It feels like there are several cities inside this city," he said.

"Writing a book about Seoul was an important event in my life. It's a great adventure to write about a country, a city that I don't know well. But even to Bitna, who comes from Jeolla Province, Seoul is new. This is a story of how the love for a city, for life, and for people are formed through various stories told by Bitna. Some are fiction and some are real."

What fascinates the author about Seoul is that it is different every time he comes.

"Seoul is a remarkable city where various stories can be told. It's constantly moving and changing. When you come back, so many things have changed, which is why director Park Chan-wook said he can never leave the city. But also tradition and modernity coexists here. Korea is a small country but full of culture, history and tradition. I especially love its food."

The Korean version of the book was published on Dec. 14 by local publisher Seoul Selection and the English version will be out this Wednesday by Seoul Selection U.S.A., the publisher's American branch. In March, the original French version of the book "Bitna: Sous le Ciel de Seoul" will be published by French publisher Stock and plans are underway to publish translations in Spanish, Italian and other languages.

The English version is translated by Brother Anthony of Taize, who is professor emeritus at Sogang University and is known for his numerous translation works between English and Korean. This time, he translated from French to English. The Korean version of the book was translated by Song Ki-jung a professor at the Ewha Womans University's French Department.

Le Clezio is well-acquainted with Korea as a frequent visitor to the country since his first visit in 2001. He was also a visiting professor at Ewha Womans University for a year in 2007.

His curiosity for the culture may lead to another novel on Seoul or Korea in the future.

"What fascinated me was one day I went out at around 6 a.m. in Sinchon, the college neighborhood, and I saw elderly people picking up trash from the mess young people created from partying the night before. I wanted to write a story about this. Also the fortunetellers and taxi drivers fascinate me too. If I have a chance to write another book, it will be about them."