Winners of 56th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards
Fiction Grand Prize winner Diana Akhmetova, left, and poetry Grand Prize winner Sooj Heo / Courtesy of Diana Akhmetova and Sooj Heo
The Korea Times is delighted to announce the winners of its 56th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards. As one of the longest-running honors dedicated to Korean literary translation, the awards celebrate the skill, passion and commitment of translators working to bring Korean literature to readers around the world.
Amid a record number of submissions this year, the Grand Prize in fiction, awarded by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, goes to Diana Akhmetova from Russia for her translation of novelist Kim Ji-yeon’s “The Things that Go By.”
Fiction Commendation Award winner Adelle Wee Xing Min, left, and poetry Commendation Award winner Ketevani Barbakadze / Courtesy of Adelle Wee Xing Min and Ketevani Barbakadze
The Grand Prize for poetry is given to Sooj Heo from Korea for her translation of poet Pak Seo-won’s poems including "Calling 1."
The Commendation Award winner for fiction goes to Adelle Wee Xing Min from Singapore for her translation of Choi Hee-ra's novel “Aeon."
The Commendation Award winner for poetry is presented to Ketevani Barbakadze from Georgia for her translation of poems by Park So-ran, including “Words Close to the Heart.”
Kevin O'Rourke Prize winner Peace Lee / Courtesy of Peace Lee
The Kevin O'Rourke Prize is awarded to Peace Lee from the U.S. for her translation of novelist Hyun Ki-young’s “Iron and Flesh.” This award honors the legacy of the late Kevin O’Rourke, a distinguished translator of Korean literature, and is presented in partnership with the Embassy of Ireland in Korea.
The Korea Times extends its warmest congratulations to all winners and participants for their dedication and hard work. The paper remains dedicated to fostering a new generation of talented translators who will help broaden the reach of Korean literature worldwide, and looks forward to receiving more entries next year as Korean literature’s international presence continues to thrive.
This year's awards ceremony will be held on Nov. 4, followed by a special book talk spotlighting the global prominence of Korean literature with author Jang Ryu-jin, whose bestselling novel "To the Moon" was recently published in English, and translator Sean Lin Halbert, winner of the 2018 Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards. The discussion will be moderated by literary critic In A-young.
The award is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KB Financial Group.
Grand Prize in fiction: Diana Akhmetova (Kim Ji-yeon's "The Things that Go By”)
Grand Prize in poetry: Sooj Heo (selected poems by Pak Seo-won)
Commendation Award in fiction: Adelle Wee Xing Min (Choi Hee-ra's “Aeon”)
Commendation Award in poetry: Ketevani Barbakadze (selected poems by Park So-ran)
Kevin O'Rourke Prize: Peace Lee (Hyun Ki-young's “Iron and Flesh”)
Judges: Sora Kim-Russell (award-winning translator), Krys Lee (associate professor at Underwood International College of Yonsei University) and Janet Poole (professor of East Asian studies at University of Toronto)