At the Japan Bookstore Awards ceremony held yesterday (6th) at 3 pm, novelist Wonpyeong Son's 'Strike Back in Thirty' won the translated novel category at the 2022 Japan Bookstore Awards.



Wonpyeong Sohn also won the Japan Bookstore Grand Prize for his novel 'Almond' in 2020, and he won the grand prize again after two years.



The Japan Bookstore Grand Prize was created in 2004 by Japanese bookstore employees. It is selected by direct votes from bookstore employees who sell new books, including online bookstores. is divided into



Son Won-pyeong's 'Almond' was the first to be selected as a winner in the 'Translated Fiction Division' opened in 2012, but in 2020 Son Won-pyeong's 'Almond' won the Bookstore Grand Prize again in two years for 'Strike Back in Thirty'. It was not honored.



Centering on the protagonist who was born in 1988, when the Seoul Olympics was held, and turned 30 in 2017, this work depicts the lives of those who endure the present in the contradiction of structures of authority, hypocrisy, injustice and exploitation.


Novelist Son Won-pyeong said in his acceptance speech to the organizers, "I am surprised and delighted to receive the second Bookstore Grand Prize." "If 'Almond' dealt with emotions before, 'Strike Back at Thirty' is 'What kind of adult will you become'? It started with a question asked.”



He said, "At the time of writing 'Strike Back at Thirty', I was very frustrated and confused. told 



He continued, "Nevertheless, I had no choice but to continue doing that job, that is, making films and writing. It was the only thing I knew how to do, and the only way to get rid of the overwhelming feeling of despair was to 'continue'." At this moment, I think there will be many young people in Korea and Japan and around the world struggling with a similar feeling to me at the time. I hope my book will be of some comfort to them.”



Novelist Son Won-pyeong won the Changbi Youth Literature Award in 2016 for his feature 'Almond' and started his work. He wrote and directed the screenplay for the feature film 'The Intruder'.



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