Korean sci-fi writers bring imaginative worlds to major French festival
Summary
Kim Bo-young, Park Seo-ryeon and Dolgi Min will participate in Les Utopiales in Nantes, France, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2. The three Korean authors will appear in seven programs on science fiction, fantasy and queer fiction under the theme “Perspectives.” They will discuss identity, nature, humanity, power and representation with international writers. A related reader event will take place in Paris on Nov. 2.
Key Facts
- Les Utopiales was founded in 2000 and this year’s edition will feature 124 programs and approximately 280 participants, including 97 writers and translators and 53 scientists.
- The authors’ French editions include Kim Bo-young’s De l’origine des espèces, Park Seo-ryeon’s Magical Girl and Dolgi Min’s Prendre Forme.
- Kim Bo-young returns to Les Utopiales after being invited in 2023, while Dolgi Min will meet French readers after her work was recently published in French translation for the first time.
- The Literature Translation Institute of Korea is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
- The literary exchange is part of cultural cooperation between Korea and France during the 140th anniversary year of diplomatic relations.
A poster for Utopiales, an international science fiction festival held at La Cité des Congrès in Nantes, France, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 1 / Courtesy of Literature Translation Institute of Korea
Three Korean authors are set to bring their imaginative visions to one of Europe’s premier science fiction festivals, offering French readers a fresh lens on identity, nature, humanity and power.
The Literature Translation Institute of Korea, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Kim Bo-young, Park Seo-ryeon and Dolgi Min will participate in Les Utopiales, an international science fiction festival in Nantes, France, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 2.
Under this year’s theme, “Perspectives,” the three writers will participate in seven programs showcasing Korean science fiction and other forms of speculative literature, including fantasy and queer fiction.
Kim returns to the festival after being invited in 2023, while Park continues to expand her presence at international literary events and Dolgi, whose work has recently been published in French translation for the first time, will meet French readers.
The Korean authors will join internationally recognized science fiction writers, including Hugo Award winner Robert Jackson Bennett and Audrey Pleynet, a recipient of France’s Prix Rosny aîné, for discussions on otherness, the body, the relationship between humanity and nature, the logic of magic and the power of representation.
Founded in 2000, Les Utopiales brings together literature, science, film, comics and games, with this year’s edition set to feature 124 programs and approximately 280 participants, including 97 writers and translators and 53 scientists.
The literary exchange will continue Nov. 2 at Librairie Les Nouveautés in Paris, where readers can meet the authors and learn about the creative processes behind their work.
The event will spotlight French editions published with support from the institute, including Kim’s “De l’origine des espèces,” Park’s “Magical Girl” and Dolgi’s “Prendre Forme.”
The institute said the program builds on literary and cultural cooperation between Korea and France this year, which marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
“This is a meaningful opportunity to introduce French readers to the originality and expansive possibilities of Korean speculative literature,” the institute said, adding that it would continue working to introduce a wider range of Korean literary works and voices to France.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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