Country of Focus: South Korea


For the second year, BWF presents its Country of Focus program, an initiative highlighting the dynamic literature of the Indo-Pacific region. Situating Australian writing within a geopolitical context, Country of Focus emphasises the exchange of ideas across language, culture and geography and the critical role of literature in an interconnected modern world.

This year, the festival has the pleasure of hosting some extraordinary South Korean talents, beginning with the incredible children’s book illustrators Gihun Lee and JiHyeon Lee, then expanding to include some of the most exciting and subversive voices in South Korean literature: Bae Suah, Choi Eunyoung, Lee Young-ju, Krys Lee, and literary luminary Bora Chung. Their astonishing work probes the psychological disquiet of modernity through radical formal innovation and devastating intimacy.

These are extraordinary South Korean artists and stories. They are stories that particularise the universal, reminding us of the enduring power of literature – to expose how we suffer and how we find salvation.

BWF is pleased to have partnered with the Korean Cultural Centre, the Australia-Korea Foundation, and the Literature and Translation Institute of Korea to bring this event to fruition. We thank them and Dr Sung-Ae Lee for their generosity and expertise.

Bora Chung on Cursed Bunny

SPE005

Special Event

Bora Chung on Cursed Bunny

Queensland Terrace, slq

Not Sticking to the ‘Rules’: Self-fashioned Writing

Queensland Terrace, slq

Representing South Korea’s Others

The Parlour, slq

Dive into the Storytelling Pool

WP021

Country of Focus / Word Play / Prep–Year 3

Dive into the Storytelling Pool

kuril dhagun, slq

Empathy

Selling Fast

BWF038

Main Festival

Empathy

slq The Studio

Self-expression and Social Critique: Women’s writing in South Korea

Auditorium 2, slq

Border Crossing– the importance of translation for Korean literature

Queensland Terrace, slq

Why Is Short Fiction Important? (South Korean Focus)

Auditorium 2, slq

The Power of Art to Explore Global Issues

WP022

Country of Focus / Word Play / Years 4–6 / Years 7–8

The Power of Art to Explore Global Issues

kuril dhagun, slq

Of Things Past

BWF094

Main Festival

Of Things Past

Auditorium 2, slq

Something Wicked

BWF053

Main Festival

Something Wicked

Auditorium 1, slq

All I Have is a Voice Poetry Salon
Google Tag Paste this code as high in the of the page as possible: