In a dazzling turn of events, South Korean author Han Kang has clinched the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. The esteemed accolade recognises her profound and vibrant prose, which skilfully delves into past atrocities while laying bare the delicate nature of human existence. The 57-year-old talented author previously bagged the much-coveted Man Booker International Prize for fiction in 2016 through her book, ‘The Vegetarian.’
The Nobel judges were astounded by Kang’s uncompromising dissection of historical traumas, unspoken societal norms, and the volatile cycle of human life observed in her extensive works. The author’s unique perception of the relationship between the physical and spiritual, the living and deceased, and her unparalleled prowess in contemporary prose set her apart in the literature world.
Continuing the legacy of 17 female laureates before her, Kang is the 18th woman to have the honour of receiving this literary award since its inception in 1901. The oldest recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature, Doris Lessing, was 87 at the time of her win in 2007, while Rudyard Kipling, honoured in 1907, remains the youngest laureate at 41.
Regarded as the most distinguished literature accolade globally, the Nobel Prize in Literature carries a handsome purse of 11 million Swedish krona (around €967,470). The Swedish Academy, consisting of 18 top-class Swedish authors, linguists, literary scholars, and historians, have the responsibility of judging the prize. Eligibility for the prize is determined by global nominations, invited annually from academia and literary circles. The judging process involves making a longlist of 15-20 authors, from which a shortlist of five is derived. The annual award event is held in Stockholm on December 10th.
Born in 1970 in Gwangju, a city in South Korea, Kang relocated to Seoul when she was nine years old. Her literary roots run deep, with her father being a well-known novelist. She complements her writing pursuits with profound interests in art and music, which are apparent throughout her literary body of work.
In 1995, with “Love of Yeosu,” a compilation of short stories, she stepped into the literary world. However, she gained international fame in 2015 with the publication of her novel “The Vegetarian,” translated by Deborah Smith. The novel, divided into three parts, lays bare the catastrophic results that follow when Yeong-hye, the main character, decides to stop consuming meat. Unfortunately, her decision is repelled aggressively by her husband and despotic father, and she endures both sexual and artistic exploitation at the hands of her brother-in-law, an obsessed video artist. She succumbs to destiny and is placed in a mental-health centre, where her sister fights to bring her back to a regular life.
In “Human Acts” (2016), Kang investigates a tragic event from 1980; the slaughter of numerous unarmed civilians and students by the armed forces in Gwangju. The book is a testament to the silent victims of history.
Her 2017 work, “The White Book,” is a moving poetic tribute to the would-be elder sister of the narrator who sadly died shortly after her birth.
“We Do Not Part” (2021) is set against the backdrop of a terrible massacre from the late 1940s on Jeju Island in South Korea, where suspicions led to the cold-blooded murder of thousands, including children and elderly. The novel explores the shared grieving process between the narrator and her friend Inseon. Together, they shoulder the emotional scars from the catastrophe that affected their families and strive to shine a light on this forgotten piece of history through a combined art project.
Kang’s literature consistently ties together mental and physical anguish. In “Greek Lessons” (2023), she presents a unique bond between two sensitive characters: a young woman, who after enduring a series of traumatic events loses her voice, and her Ancient Greek teacher, who is on the verge of blindness. From their shared weaknesses, a fragile romance blossoms. The narrative is a contemplation on loss, closeness, and the essence of language.
As an interesting fact, there have been four distinguished laureates of the Nobel Prize in Literature from Ireland: William Butler Yeats in 1923, George Bernard Shaw in 1925, Samuel Beckett in 1969, and Seamus Heaney in 1995.