Han Kang, a South Korean poet and author was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in literature on October 10, 2024.
According to the Nobel Prize website, this was due to her “intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.”
Kang is known best for her books The Vegetarian (2007) and Human Acts (2016), which address human violence and trauma.
She grew up in Gwangju, South Korea and moved cities right before the Gwangju Uprising, a rebellion that occurred against the government, so this event likely influenced her writing.
Additionally she grew up surrounded by literature as her father was a novelist.
“I’m so surprised and absolutely, I’m honored,” Kang stated in an interview with the Swedish Academy.
She went on to say “I grew up with Korean literature, which I feel very close to. So I hope this news is nice for Korean literature readers, and my friends and writers.”
Kang is one of many Korean authors that are growing in popularity at the moment.
“The reason [Korean Literature] became popular recently is because these books are now being translated into other languages, which makes it more accessible for people to read,” Korean Language teacher Jihyun Kim stated.
“I loved Han Kang’s books. She started writing poems first, so the way she writes is extremely beautiful and at the same time very sad,” Kim continued.
“Korea as a whole has extraordinary literature and storytelling, however, not enough people know about this or the Korean language,” she elaborated.
While this individual accomplishment is important, the message it gives is even more significant.
People need to continue to gain representation in literature so that all voices can be heard.
“As a Korean and as a woman, I am so proud of this accomplishment. It means a lot that an Asian woman received this literature prize,” said Kim.
Ashley Brockman, teacher librarian at PVHS, also sees literature as a key to building human connections and understanding.
“Literature, like all forms of art, helps to build empathy and to explore the things that we have curiosity or passion about,” she said.
Han Kang’s works are just a few of many amazing books that reflect a unique human experience.
“While we should all read what draws our interest, awards are given to books for a reason, and we should all try to give some of those books a chance,” said Brockman.