Dear Friends,

For the February meeting, we will read and discuss ‘Whale’ by Cheon Myeong-kwan (Translated by Chi-Young Kim).

The meeting will be held ONLINE & IN-PERSON.

WHEN_Thursday. February 15, 2024. 7:30PM (Seoul)
WHERE_Online Zoom & B1, North Terrace Cafe (near Anguk Station or Jongno-3-ga Station (SUBWAY Line 1, 3, or 5))
READ_’Whale’ by Cheon Myeong-kwan (Translated by Chi-Young Kim)
LEADER_Jenny Byun

BUY BOOK:
US Europa Editions (UK Publisher) | Amazon
KR Kyobo Books  

From the Publisher

A woman sells her daughter to a passing beekeeper for two jars of honey. A baby weighing fifteen pounds is born in the depths of winter but named “Girl of Spring”. A storm brings down the roof of a ramshackle restaurant to reveal a hidden fortune. These are just some of the events that set Myeong-Kwan Cheong’s beautifully crafted, wild world in motion. Set in a remote village in South Korea, Whale follows the lives of its linked characters: Geumbok, who has been chasing an indescribable thrill ever since she first saw a whale crest in the ocean; her mute daughter, Chunhui, who communicates with elephants; and a one-eyed woman who controls honeybees with a whistle. Brimming with surprises and wicked humour, Whale is an adventure-satire of epic proportions, by one of international literature’s the most original voices.

About the Author

Cheon Myeong-kwan is a South Korean novelist and screenwriter. Upon publication of his first story, “Frank and I” (2003), he received the prestigious Munhakdongne New Writer Award. His debut novel, Whale, was published the following year, won the 10th Munhakdongne Novel Award and became one of the most loved novels in South Korea, where it is regarded as a modern classic. His work has been translated into eight languages.

About the Translator

Chi-young Kim is a Korean-to-English literary translator who lives in the United States. Originally having trained as a lawyer and translating as a hobby helping her mom, Kim became a professional literary translator after graduation, when she started working for a publishing company in New York.

VENUE: Online Zoom & In-person 

• In-Person: The ‘North Terrace Cafe (Basement)’ is located at 12 Yulgok-ro 10-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul.  Go to Anguk Station on the Orange #3 Line.  Go out Exit 4 and do an immediate U-turn on the sidewalk.  Then take a right in front of the Japanese Cultural Center and walk towards Changdeok-gung, but on the opposite side of the main street (Yulgok-ro) from the palace.  Please note the below map.

• Online Zoom Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83251283786?pwd=cVovaVVZajRTOHYyUzc5OU9BQzJFQT09  (Meeting ID: 832 5128 3786 / Passcode: 040543)