Fantasy writer Lee Young-do falls short of French literary award

Cover of the French edition of Lee Yeong-do’s “The Bird That Drinks Tears” / Courtesy of Hachette Heroes

Korean fantasy writer Lee Young-do has fallen short of winning the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, one of France’s most prestigious speculative fiction awards, but his nomination marked a significant milestone for Korean genre literature on the global stage.

Lee’s epic fantasy novel “The Bird That Drinks Tears” was shortlisted among six finalists in the foreign novel category. The winner was announced Monday at La Comedie du Livre, a major literary event held annually in France.

French-Armenian-Australian novelist Alex Landragin's "Crossings" won the award in the foreign novel category.

The Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, awarded by a jury of critics, writers and journalists, is widely regarded as France’s top honor in science fiction and fantasy literature.

First published in Korea in 2003, the four-volume series has sold more than 1 million copies domestically, cementing its status as a landmark in Korean fantasy fiction. The novel is widely praised for building a richly imagined world that diverges from Western medieval fantasy traditions, incorporating distinctly Korean elements such as "dokkaebi" (goblins), "ssireum" (traditional wrestling), "yutnori" (a board game) and "ondol" (underfloor heating).

The work’s growing international presence has drawn increasing attention. Its French translation, released in October last year, sold over 20,000 copies within six months, according to its Korean publisher Golden Bough. The book’s cover notably introduced Lee as “the Korean Tolkien, finally translated,” highlighting its ambition and appeal to global fantasy readers.

Translations are currently underway or completed in 17 languages across more than 30 countries, including Germany, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. The first English-language edition, translated by Anton Hur, is set to release in the United States and United Kingdom in June.

Lee’s fictional universe is also set to reach gamers, as a role-playing game adaptation of “The Bird That Drinks Tears” is currently under development at Krafton’s Montreal studio, with no official release date announced.