Korean epic fantasy 'The Bird That Drinks Tears' wins French literary prize
Summary
Fantasy writer Lee Young-do’s The Bird that Drinks Tears won the 2026 Prix du livre Cultissime in France. The prize honors fiction seen as likely to endure as a future classic, and the winning volume was the first French-language book in Lee’s four-part fantasy series. The festival announced the winners on Friday in Angers, France, after a vote split between the public and a professional panel.
Key Facts
- The prize was chosen from five finalists, including works by Adelaide de Clermont-Tonnerre, Virginia Evans, John Boyne and Julia Thevenot.
- Lee’s series was originally published in Korea in 2003.
- The Bird That Drinks Tears has sold about 1 million copies in Korea.
- The series has been licensed in 17 languages and more than 30 countries.
- Its first English-language volume, The Heart of the Nhaga, was released in June and marked the novel’s first English publication.
Cover of the French edition of Lee Yeong-do’s “The Bird That Drinks Tears” / Courtesy of Hachette Heroes
Fantasy writer Lee Young-do’s “The Bird that Drinks Tears” has won the 2026 Prix du livre Cultissime in France, a prize recognizing fiction deemed likely to endure as a future classic.
The award went to the first French-language volume of Lee’s four-part fantasy series at the Cultissime Festival in Angers, France. The festival, which celebrates works with lasting popular appeal, announced the winners on Friday.
The prize is decided through a vote split equally between the general public and a professional panel. Lee’s novel was selected from five finalists, alongside works by French author Adelaide de Clermont-Tonnerre, American writer Virginia Evans, Irish novelist John Boyne and French young-adult author Julia Thevenot.
In a statement released by Korean publisher Golden Bough, Lee expressed gratitude for the honor and reflected on the solitary nature of writing.
“Writers who express themselves only through words, without video or background music, can seem like steadfast artists somewhat ft behind in this luxurious age,” he said. ”But I believe we find strength because there are people who seek out such artists.”
He added that he hoped festival visitors would “always have time in their 24 hours to read.”
Originally published in Korea in 2003, “The Bird That Drinks Tears” is a four-volume epic that incorporates distinctly Korean cultural elements, including “dokkaebi” (goblins), “ssireum” (traditional wrestling), “yutnori” (a board game) and “ondol” (underfloor heating). The series has sold about 1 million copies in Korea.
The French win comes even though only the first volume has been published there. It had previously been shortlisted for France’s Grand Prix de l’Imaginare and Prix Imaginales since its publication in October 2025.
The series has been licensed in 17 languages and more than 30 countries. Its first English-language volume, “The Heart of the Nhaga,” translated by Anton Hur, was released in June, marking the novel’s first English publication.
Explore More
- Q.
- Q.
- Q.