Copenhagen, Oct 10 (EFE).- South Korean writer Han Kang has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in literature, the Swedish academy announced on Thursday.
The South Korean was honored “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life,” the
The academy noted that Han Kang’s work frequently delves into suffering, exploring both mental and physical torment, with strong connections to Eastern philosophical thought.
Born in 1970 in Gwangju, Han Kang moved to Seoul with her family at the age of 11. She graduated in Korean literature and initially debuted as a poet, but gained wider recognition as a novelist.
In 1994, she won the Seoul Shinmun Prize for her short story “Red Candle,” and has since published several short story collections.
In 2016, Han Kang, along with her English translator Deborah Smith, won the Man Booker International Prize for her novel “The Vegetarian.”
Another of her novels, “Blanco,” was shortlisted for the same award, while “Human Acts” (Obra humana) won the Malaparte Prize in Italy.
In “The Vegetarian,” the protagonist, a Korean housewife, begins by becoming a vegetarian, eventually eliminating all animal products from her life, and ultimately dreams of transforming into a plant.
The Nobel Prize in Literature, like all Nobel Prizes, will be awarded on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. EFE
alc-rz-ssk
