Call me a grouch, but when you need both ear plugs and a blindfold to survive a gig in any degree of comfort you have to start questioning the wisdom of some of the sound and lighting judgments. Ear plugs, handed out for free at the entrance to Jambinai’s Purcell Room gig that opened K-music … [Read More]
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Five from the archive
Exhibition visit: Lee Bul – Crashing. Pt 2 – Scale of Tongue
The most eye-catching work in Lee Bul’s Hayward Gallery exhibition is the giant inflatable zeppelin, its grid of rectangular silver panels echoing the grid of skylights in the Hayward’s newly refurbished upper floor. The work, entitled Willing to be Vulnerable, memorialises the Hindenburg disaster in 1937, when the giant airship, representing a possible future of … [Read More]
Brief review: Kim Sagwa – b, Book, and Me
To answer the obvious question that you’re going to be asked when trying to order this item at your local bookstore, “b” and “Book” are the names of two characters in the novel. We’re not told about how b came by her name, but Book is so called because he spends all his time reading, primarily … [Read More]
In pictures: Chuseok celebrations at the British Museum
The early Autumn brought two simultaneous Chuseok celebrations in the London area on 18 September: the harvest fest in New Malden, organised by KBCE, and a special event at the British Museum. Over the past months we’ve been starved of live music, and it was great to be able to hear the Shilla Ensemble perform … [Read More]
2013 Travel Diary #8: Prayers to the Sanshin
Danseong-myeon, Sancheong-gun, Saturday 7 September, 4pm. After last year’s abortive attempt to get to the top of the highest mountain on mainland South Korea, I was determined to give it another go at a time of year when there was guaranteed not to be any ice on the path. As an added bonus, what would … [Read More]
Recent Posts
Bleak, relatable, daring, humane: how Korean literature emerged from its niche
The following is the text of the talk I submitted to the LTI Korea conference held in Seoul on 1 – 3 July 2026 celebrating their 30th birthday. I am grateful to LTI Korea for the invitation to present, and to those who helped and encouraged me in the preparation. Special thanks go to literary … [Read More]
The LKL Korean Literature in Translation survey: a quick look at the results
A few months ago I asked for your help with preparing for a talk at a conference organised by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea to celebrate their 30th birthday. The brief for my talk was, to quote from the email I received commissioning it, “how Korean literature is received by English-speaking readers — what … [Read More]
July events
Twin highlights this month: BTS’s comeback and Yunchan Lim opening the Proms. Tickets for both are like gold dust. Exhibitions The KCCUK’s summer exhibition, Korean Traditional Painting in Alter-age: Pure and Hybrid, is on all month. Look out for special events associated with the exhibition. Experience Young Huh’s maximalist minhwa interior design style at WOWHouse … [Read More]
In pictures: Icheon and Beyond — The Space Within Form
In the past few years, the potters and other artisans of Icheon have shown off the beauty of their work at the Collect craft fair, in partnership with Han Collection. That arrangement worked well for a few years, but had its limitations. On the one hand, Collect gave them the opportunity to find buyers for … [Read More]
In pictures: Songs beneath the Sacred Tree
It was a huge privilege to be one of the few members of the audience when two leading practitioners of the East Coast Byeolshin Gut tradition displayed their talents in Durham’s music department towards the end of May. Husband and wife team Hong Hyojin and Jung Younrak continue the traditions of the hereditary shaman practice, … [Read More]
K-music Festival 2026: the official press release
Here is the official press release for the 2026 K-music festival, released earlier today. Much to look forward to! Europe’s Largest Korean Music Festival Beyond Genre Boundaries 28 Sep – 23 Nov 2026 From folk traditions and experimental sound art to gaming soundtracks, jazz, hip-hop and indie rock, K-Music Festival returns to showcase the depth, … [Read More]
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Recent Event updates
Hong Sangsoo’s The Day She Returns, at the ICA
The Day She Returns follows actress Bae Jeongsu (Song Sunmi), who, having stepped back from acting after marriage and a subsequent divorce, returns to the profession with a role in an independent film. As the film’s release approaches, she takes part in a series of press interviews. A subtle meditation on memory and performance, Hong … [Read More]
Yeon Sang-ho’s Colony: UK theatrical release
A biotech conference turns catastrophic when a rapidly mutating virus is unleashed, trapping survivors inside as they fight to escape. Yeon Sang-ho’s latest movie, Colony, gets a UK theatrical release on 28 August. Exact locations and other details tba
Sangeun Lee in world premiere of Jae Man Joo’s Auguries of Innocence
English National Ballet lead principal Sangeun Lee will be featuring in the world premiere of Jae Man Joo’s Auguries of Innocence, in a compelling triple bill entitled Rhythm Riot that launches the company’s Autumn season: One stage, three moods. Explosive energy. Deep resonance. Unstoppable drive. Feel the pulse of ballet now. Experience all the music … [Read More]
An Evening with Pachinko author Min Jin Lee: American Hagwon
Min Jin Lee is the award-winning author of Pachinko, a multigenerational saga about the lives of Koreans in Japan during an era of colonisation, war and upheaval. The much-loved novel was a finalist for the National Book Award and later adapted into a critically-acclaimed television series for Apple TV+. This October, Lee comes to the Intelligence Squared … [Read More]
Korean musical: You & It
South Korea’s award-winning musical sensation arrives in London. Following sold-out acclaim across Asia and a triumphant Edinburgh Fringe run, You & It transfers to the King’s Head Theatre, Islington, for a limited season. A grieving widower meets an artificial intelligence built in his late wife’s image — and must confront grief, memory, and what it truly … [Read More]
[Leeds] From South Korea to the World: Korean Literature in Translation
![Thumbnail for post: [Leeds] From South Korea to the World: Korean Literature in Translation](https://londonkoreanlinks.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/starfield-suwon-120x120.jpg)
How do Korean stories travel from Seoul to readers around the world? What happens between the writer’s desk and the English-language page? And how are contemporary Korean authors reaching global audiences today? Join award-winning writers Kim Keum-hee and Hwang Bo-reum, together with translator Clare Richards and scholar Dr Eugene Kim, for a day of readings … [Read More]
The above events list includes recent updates to events which might have been uploaded some time ago (eg an update confirming venue or ticket link). A chronological listing of all event notices published, most recent first, can be found here. A list of all upcoming events can be found here.
Recent Book updates
Romancing on Jeju
This atmospheric novel about friendship and self-discovery from Korean author Hyun-joo Park buzzes with romance, mystery, and just a hint of danger. Romi is an illustrator and hopeless romantic. When she can’t stop obsessing over a brief encounter with a handsome stranger, there’s just one thing to do: hop on a plane and find him. … [Read More]
Midnight Timetable
From the author and translator of the National Book Award finalist and Booker Prize shortlisted Cursed Bunny, comes a new novel-in-ghost-stories, set in a mysterious research center that houses cursed objects, where those who open the wrong door might find it’s disappeared behind them, or that the echoing footsteps they’re running from are their own… The acclaimed Korean … [Read More]
A Greater Music
Near the beginning of A Greater Music, the narrator, a young Korean writer, falls into an icy river in the Berlin suburbs, where she’s been house-sitting for her on-off boyfriend Joachim. This sets into motion a series of memories that move between the hazily defined present and the period three years ago when she first … [Read More]
North Station
A writer struggles to come to terms with the death of her beloved mentor; the staging of an experimental play goes awry; time freezes for two lovers on a platform, waiting for the train that will take one of them away; a woman living in a foreign country discovers she has been issued the wrong … [Read More]
The White Book
While on a writer’s residency, a nameless narrator wanders the twin white worlds of the blank page and snowy Warsaw. THE WHITE BOOK becomes a meditation on the color white, as well as a fictional journey inspired by an older sister who died in her mother’s arms, a few hours old. The narrator grapples with … [Read More]
Greek Lessons
A powerful novel of the saving grace of language and human connection, from the celebrated author of The Vegetarian In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by … [Read More]
The above booklist includes recent updates to books which might have been uploaded some time ago (eg an update to reflect a release of cover art, or a new review). A chronological listing of all books uploaded, most recent first, can be found here.