Two Korean literary works shortlisted for Emile Guimet Prize

The covers of the French editions of Han Kang's "I Do Not Bid Farewell" (left) and Ma Yeong-shin's "Moms" / Courtesy of Grasset, Atrabile

Han Kang’s “I Do Not Bid Farewell” and Ma Yeong-shin’s “Moms” have been shortlisted for the Emile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature in France, according to the Literature Translation Institute of Korea.

International Booker Prize-winning author Han’s novel examines the tragic Jeju April 3 Uprising and Massacre through the perspectives of three women. The 1948 anti-communist military campaign resulted in the purge of around 30,000 civilian demonstrators — nearly 10 percent of the island’s population at the time.

Translated into French by Choi Kyung-ran and Pierre Bisiou, the book clinched the Prix Medicis for foreign literature in November, marking the first time a Korean piece received the esteemed French award.

“I Do Not Bid Farewell” will compete against two other contenders: Japanese author Akiko Kawasaki’s “Horse and Wind” and Indian British novelist Salman Rushdie’s “Victory City.”

For the prize’s inaugural graphic novel category, Ma’s Harvey Award-winning “Moms” has been named one of the two finalists alongside “The Boy from Clearwater: Book 3” by Yu Pei-yun and Zhou Jian-xin.

Translated into French by Lee Hyon-hee, the book presents a darkly humorous, unfiltered tale of four women in their mid-50s, focusing on the precarious balance they navigate between complicated love lives, sexual adventures and menial jobs.

Launched by the Paris-based Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts in 2017, the Emile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature recognizes an original literary work by an author from the region that has been translated and published in France. The winners for this year’s iteration will be announced on Feb. 29.

In the United States, the English-language translation of celebrated poet Kim Hye-soon’s poetry collection, “Phantom Pain Wings,” has secured nominations in the National Book Critics Circle Awards' poetry category and the Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize.

This poignant anthology of 72 poems, the words of which were rendered in English by Korean American poet and translator Don Mee Choi, portrays the endless struggles against injustice through a blend of Kim’s signature experimental language and elements inspired by Korea’s folklore and legends. The awards ceremony will take place on March 21.