French author urges Korean readers to follow inner calling over material success

French author Bernard Werber, center at the podium, speaks during a special lecture as part of the 2026 Seoul International Book Fair at Coex in southern Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Anna J. Park

French novelist Bernard Werber encouraged readers to pursue their unique calling rather than material success, arguing that true happiness comes from discovering the talent each person is born to develop.

Speaking at a special lecture during the 2026 Seoul International Book Fair, Thursday, where France is this year's guest of honor, the bestselling author shared his lifelong fascination with spirituality, a recurring theme in many of his novels.

Werber said he began exploring yoga, Buddhist meditation and other spiritual practices at the age of 13, leading him to believe there are two fundamentally different ways of living: one driven by materialism and another guided by spirituality.

"A materialistic life revolves around finding a job, earning money, building a family and repeating the same cycle," he said. "A spiritual life begins by asking why we were born, why we are here and what only we can contribute to the world."

French author Bernard Werber, ceter, speaks during a special lecture at the 2026 Seoul International Book Fair at Coex in southern Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Anna J. Park

Werber sees spirituality not as a collective doctrine but an individual journey of finding one's vocation. Each person, he said, possesses a unique talent and purpose that cannot be measured by social standards or financial reward.

"Society may tell you that your passion won't make money," he said. "But if your soul keeps calling you toward it, you should listen."

He urged the audience to look beyond the "masks" people wear and recognize the authentic individual beneath, stressing how everyone has a personal mission that differs depending on their upbringing, experiences and natural abilities.

"The meaning of life begins with discovering your gift," Werber said. "When you fully develop that gift, work no longer feels exhausting, and you naturally attract people who share or appreciate your passion."

French novelist Bernard Werber, center, speaks during a press conference marking the Korean publication of his new novel, "The Waltz of Souls," at the France Pavilion of the 2026 Seoul International Book Fair at Coex in southern Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Werber has an especially devoted readership in Korea. Since "Empire of the Ants" was first translated to Korean and published in 1993, his works have sold more than 12.5 million copies in the country — more than half of his global total of 23 million copies across 35 languages.

Recently published in Korea, his latest novel, "The Waltz of Souls," expands on themes of reincarnation and humanity's recurring struggle between enlightenment and obscurantism. The story follows a protagonist who travels through multiple past lives — from prehistoric societies and ancient Egypt to Sumer and classical Greece — in an attempt to prevent the end of civilization.

Werber said the novel was inspired in part by his own long-standing interest in past-life regression. He recalled a psychic once telling him he had lived 111 past lives, an idea he cannot verify but one that became fertile material for fiction.

"The conflict between enlightenment and obscurantism has continued throughout human history," he said at a press conference marking the release of the Korean edition at on the sidelines of the book fair.

He also warned that technologies such as artificial intelligence are inherently neutral, arguing that, like fire or nuclear energy, they can either benefit humanity or be misused depending on how people choose to employ them.