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Korea to participate in Bologna children‘s book fair

Korea will open its pavilion at the Bologna Children's Book Fair to be held in Bologna, Italy from March 19-22, the culture ministry said Thursday. About 700 children's books submitted by 26 local publishing companies will be displayed at the Korean Pavilion, set to cover 301 square meters in the Bologna Fair Center. Among the books to be featured is "Grimmie's White Canvas" by Sang Publishing in Seoul, which won the Opera Prima division of this year's BolognaRagazzi Award. The South Korean publishing industry hopes participation in the Bologna book fair will build momentum for a Korean Wave in the field of publishing in Europe. The Bologna Children's Book Fair is known to be the world's biggest event participated in by 1,300 publishing companies from 69 countries across the globe. In a related move, the Korea Literature Translation Institute plans to hold events to introduce juvenile literature from Korea at the Bologna Children's Book Fair and also in Rome and Bonn, Germany. (Yonhap)

Mar 15, 2012

Recent books

Rah Seung-Yun’s Presentation Rah Seung-yun; 21st Century Books; 295 pp., 15,000 won As the communications director of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games Bid Committee, Rah Seung-yun, became famous after giving a near-flawless presentation last year in front of IOC delegates in Durban, South Africa. Better known as Theresa Rah, she made a lasting impression on viewers within and outside the country with not just her fluency in English and French but also her polished presentation skills and an elegant stage presence. Some have credit her speech and role as the face of the bid committee as key reasons for PyeongChang’s successful bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics in the remote mountainous town in Gangwon Province. Almost a year after the sensational speech, Rah has published a book to help people polish their own presentation skills. Public speaking is an important skill at school and at most jobs, so this book is helpful for students and office workers looking to hone their skills in this area and become an effective public speaker. In particular, young stude

Mar 9, 2012By Do Je-hae

Dissecting the presidential mind

By Do Je-hae Just what drove Harry Truman to fire Douglas MacArthur at the height of the Korean War (1950-1953)? Why did John F. Kennedy challenge America to reach for the moon? The Korean version of “Presidential Leadership: 15 Decisions That Changed the Nation” has just been published, giving readers a glimpse into the thought process behind some of these biggest decisions by presidents in American history, starting with Thomas Jefferson and concluding with Barack Obama. Year of politics The publication of the Korean translation is timely, ahead of two upcoming elections. At the forefront of the voters’ mind will be that the decisions their new leader make will be crucial in shaping the future course of the country. Koreans will choose new members of the National Assembly in April and a successor to President Lee Myung-bak in December in this all-important year of major elections. Naturally, publishers have been making full use of the “year of politics” with a host of new books on political leadership. Through his book, political columnist Nick Ragone introduce

Mar 9, 2012By Do Je-hae

Recent Books

Himalaya Poems Ko Un; Translated from Korean to English by Brother Anthony of Taize and Lee Sang-wha; Green Integer: 133pp., $13.95 This volume of poetry brings Korea’s foremost poet Ko Un’s work to English speaking readers. It was first published in 2000, written after his voyage to the Himalayan Mountains. The book contains over 80 poems inspired by his travels to the highest peaks of the world. Due to fatigue and the aggravated tuberculosis that threatened his life, he spent three years writing the volume after returning from the journey The subjects range from the travel itself to the mythology, history and legends of Tibetan Buddhism. While each piece can be read separately and do stand independently in their own right, the imbued Buddhist tales and a read from start to finish make the body of work almost a historical and religious epic. Like the poet states in his preface, we become a pilgrim in a passageway. A translator’s note of what approach they took in executing the translation or an appendix containing some of the original Korean versions would have enhanced

Mar 2, 2012

Top restaurant’s secrets to creativity

By Do Je-hae What goes into the making of a world-renowned restaurant? Until its closure, elBulli, the beachside Spanish restaurant repeatedly crowned the world’s best, was more than just a place to dine. For years, head chef Ferran Adria’s creativity and enigma had drawn not only the world’s top culinary artists and food critics but also chefs looking to become apprentices there. Located in Roses, Catalonia, northeastern Spain, the restaurant pushed the boundaries of cuisine for more than two decades under Adria. Closed since last year, it is to reopen as a foundation dedicated to culinary creativity in 2014. The restaurant was famous for its limited season, closing for more than six months a year to train chefs and develop new cooking techniques and flavors. The 2010 season, for example, ran from June 15 to Dec. 20. While it could accommodate only 8,000 diners a year, it received more than two million requests for reservations. As Adria has repeatedly said, “The ideal customer doesn’t come to elBulli to eat but to have an experience.” The Restaurant Magazine

Mar 2, 2012By Do Je-hae

Human tragedies in fine arts

Book explores emotions found in paintings from Botticelli to Schiele By Kwaak Je-yup First-time visitors to any great European art museum must feel it: the fear of having to take in walls full of “great art.” But often these grand halls of the world’s finest collections tend to overwhelm and rob the pleasure rather than assist the novice. Japanese art historian Nakano Kyoko, best known for her documentaries on public broadcaster NHK, wants to change that. With her newest book “Read the Mind through Terrifying Portraits” (translated by fellow art historian Lee Yeon-sik), the author explains in plain, easy language what she knows and more importantly how she feels when she sees these images she considers so fearful. A great storyteller she may be, but the result is a mix, not only of the obvious between the objective and subjective, but also the engaging and the alienating. The volume’s most gripping chapter is on her selection from Russian art, in which explicitly frightening portraits from Ilya Repin were natural choices. Powerful images and tragic royal intrigue m

Feb 24, 2012By Do Je-hae

NK-born writers move to establish own PEN center

By Do Je-hae A group of writers who have defected from North Korea are expected to set up their own center under PEN International, a writers’ association originally founded in London. “We submitted a proposal to set up this new center at the last PEN International congress in Belgrade,” Lee Gil-won, president of the PEN International Korean Center, said. “We will discuss this more in the upcoming congress in Gyeongju.” Kim said that he has been discussing the issue with writers who have defected from North Korea since last year. Around 40 writers living in South Korea and other countries are expected to participate. If established, it will become the 144th center of PEN International. The 78th International PEN Congress will be held in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province from Sept. 9 to 15. The event was held in Korea twice previously in 1970 and 1988. Under the theme of “Literature, Media, and Human Rights,” the congress will host forums, lectures and recitation of poems. Since the establishment of PEN International in 1921, it has promoted literature, defended

Feb 20, 2012

Foreigners‘ perspective on Joseon

By Do Je-hae It's hard to believe, but foreigners were actually traveling and working here in the backward Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910). A recent book chronicles the experiences and views of foreigners on Joseon and its people from the beginning of the kingdom until its demise due to Japanese’s occupation. The Kyujanggak Institute for Korean Studies (KIKS) has released a publication on the history of the Joseon Kingdom, this time centering on foreigners' experience in the country. The book also has rare pictures of daily life taken by them, as well as postcards and maps from the time. "Foreigners' Journeys in Joseon," compiled by the KIKS, contains essays from various researchers of one of the humanities institutes at Seoul National University. The institute is named after a royal library called “Gyujanggak,” established in 1776 by King Jeongjo at Changdeok Palace. The book is an outcome of the institute’s “Humanities Korea” project, which aims at producing easy literature on Joseon Kingdom life and culture. “The focus of this book is Joseon’s relationship with people f

Feb 17, 2012By Do Je-hae

Recent books

Vincent van Gogh: A Self-Portrait in Art and Letters By Vincent van Gogh; edited by H. Anna Suh and translated into Korean by Lee Chang-sil; Syso Communications; 217 pp., 13,00 won Local fans of Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh (1853 ­1890) can now have a more intimate look into his life thorough a collection of his personal letters, translated into Korean and published last month. Throughout his life, Gogh wrote hundreds of letters, many to his brother Theo, who acted as patron, agent and confidant. The artist fought poverty, a struggle for recognition and alternating fits of madness throughout his life. He also corresponded with other family members and fellow artists, including contemporaries Paul Gauguin and Emile Bernard. His work is notable for its rough beauty and bold color and had a far-reaching influence on 20th-century art, but in his lifetime, he was not appreciated. He died at the age of 37 from a gunshot wound, generally accepted to be self-inflicted. The letters are set side-by-side with more than 250 of his most renowned paintings.

Feb 17, 2012

Creating architectural landmarks

By Do Je-hae Architecture is the product of the minds of some of the most creative thinkers. It has played an indispensable role in the growth of cities. In the last 33 years since its inception, master architects from various countries have been awarded the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize. For the first time, a book introducing all of the laureates and their works has been published, entitled “Architect: the Pritzker Prize Laureates in Their Own Words.” The Korean version came out last month. It presents all 33 recipients of the prize, and captures, in pictures and their own words, the essence of their key works. Organized by architect, each chapter features approximately four to six major works that represent a range of skills, materials, and methods, as well as a variety of structures including museums, libraries, transportation hubs, hotels and places of worship. The text, gathered from diaries, interviews, articles, speeches, and notebooks, and provided by each architect, illuminates works and enlightens on topics such as influences and inspirations, persona

Feb 10, 2012By Do Je-hae
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