Latest news with #NobelPrizeinLiterature
Korea Herald
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Han Kang's first post-Nobel book tops bestseller list
Nobel literature laureate Han Kang's latest book has topped a local bestseller list upon its release. Major bookstore chain Kyobo Book Center said Friday that the book, titled "Light and Thread," claimed the No. 1 spot on its bestseller list for the last week of April. Han's first publication since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature last year, the book contains a total of 12 writings, including five poems and several new prose pieces. Three of the writings stem from the Nobel Prize in Literature award events last December: the full text of the laureate lecture "Light and Thread," delivered at the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm; the acceptance speech "Even In the Darkest Night" given at the subsequent banquet; and the message "A Small Teacup," left upon donating a teacup to the Nobel Prize Museum. Among the new prose pieces, "North-facing Garden" describes the garden she tended at her first fully-owned home bought in 2019, while "Garden Diary" chronicles the garden's plant life over two years starting in 2021. The book, which was released last Wednesday, has drawn particularly strong interest from female readers, who made up 69.7 percent of its audience, according to Kyobo. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
'Bob Dylan brought me back to songwriting': legendary folk music couple returns
Singer-songwriters Joung Tae-choon, Park Eun-ohk release 12th album and literary project after 13 years It was American music legend and Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Bob Dylan who inspired Korean singer-songwriter Joung Tae-choon to resume writing songs after a decade. Joung, 71, who marks the 45th anniversary of his singing career this year, discovered Dylan's "The Lyrics," a more than 1,500-page book containing the singer's works, at a public library he was visiting with his granddaughter. 'Reading the lyrics, listening to his music, reading his biography, I realized I never knew Bob Dylan,' Joung said at a press conference on Tuesday in Seoul. Then he had an urge to create again, 11 years after he thought he was finished with writing songs. 'I just wanted to write songs again and -- truly good songs.' Good songs are, in Joung's definition, 'capable of shaking a person's heart—from rationality to emotional resonance.' Park Eun-ohk, his wife and musical partner of 45 years, said that her happiness performing on stage has only deepened with age. 'It's clear — I feel happy and grateful when I sing on stage. If I were born again, I'd want to be a musician, but this time I'd want to have creative talent like Joung,' said Park, 68. Known for her warm and captivating voice, Park contributed two songs to the 10-track album. 'I usually never use the word 'never,' but I couldn't help thinking that perhaps this might be our last album,' Park said. 'It's probably natural that our music might not resonate easily with listeners in their 20s and 30s. However, even if they're a minority, I'd love to connect with them through music.' Releasing their 12th album is more than simply introducing new music. Titled 'Literary Project," their comeback also includes a nationwide concert tour, a new publication and an exhibition. 'I want to repay my debt to literature.' Joung explained. 'I wanted to express gratitude for the artistically refined language and literature that deeply influenced me. My music is, in essence, indebted to Korean literature,' Joung said. Joung began his singing career with the debut album Poet's Village in 1978 and soon won Best New Artist. In 1980, Joung married Park, who debuted in 1979, and together they released several collaborative albums as a couple. Their 'Leaving Bark' (1984) and 'At Bukhan River' (1985) were major hits. Joung played a major role in the abolition of Korea's policy of requiring government approval for artists to release music albums in the 1990s.
