[Pick] "I want to give Korean readers a sound"... 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature Winner 'Gurna'

'2021 Nobel Prize for Literature' finally introduced to Korea

 When the Swedish Academy of Sciences named Abdulrazak Gurnah (74, 74, Abdulrazak Gurnah) as the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature recipient in October of last year, the entire world of literature was 'surprised'.

In 2021, Haruki Murakami (Japan) and Anne Carson (Canada) were mentioned as potential candidates for the Nobel Prize in Literature at the time, because, contrary to everyone's expectations, the Tanzanian author Abdulazak Gurna was honored with the award.

The Swedish Academy selected Gurna as the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature on October 7, last year, saying, "He gave an insight into the fate of refugees under the influence of colonialism and the cultural gap between continents without compromise and with compassionate eyes."

But despite these praises, the domestic bookstores were quiet.

The so-called 'Nobel Prize for Literature', which heats up bookstores every October, disappeared as there was no Korean publisher who had previously translated and published Gurna's novels.

In response, the publishing house Munhak Dongnae rolled up its arms and translated and published three novels by Gurna 7 months after the announcement of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Literature.

This is the first publication in an Asian country, and the works were translated by prominent Korean translators.

“Paradise” is written by Wang Eun-cheol, a professor at Chonbuk National University, and “At the Beach” is written by Hwang Yu-won, a poet.

The most recent work, 'Life After', was moved by translator Kang Dong-hyuk, who translated the 2019 20th anniversary edition of Harry Potter.

is Gurna's early work depicting the growing up of an East African boy who was sold into slavery to pay off his father's debts around World

I. Draw the story you are making.

His most recent work,

, illuminates a turbulent life in East Africa, which was under German colonial rule in the early 1900s.

Enlarging an image

He is the first African-American author to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 28 years.

With this award, Gurna became the sixth author to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to Africa.

This is the first African writer in 18 years since John Kush of South Africa in 2003 and the first African American writer in 28 years since the American novelist Tony Morrison in 1993.

He was born in 1948 on the island of Zanzibar (then British Protectorate), Tanzania, home to Freddie Mercury and known as the 'Arab Furnace', where he spent his childhood.

After tribal conflict and Islamic persecution intensified due to the Zanzibar Revolution in 1964, he emigrated to England as a refugee and lived his life as a refugee. and post-colonial literature, before retiring in 2017.

At a video press conference held yesterday (18th), Gurna also revealed her feelings on the day she was notified that she was nominated for the Nobel Prize.

Gurna said, "I was getting ready to drink tea at home, but I just got a call and it was hard to believe," he said. recalled.

He never forgot to explain or explain his work.

"The subject of the work is not limited to Africa. East Africa (Tanzania, etc.) has accumulated a history for hundreds of years through exchanges with other regions religiously and culturally, and has multi-layered aspects." I also wanted to talk about it.”

Regarding the role of literature, he said, "Literature allows us to learn more about the lives of others, our relationships, and the conditions and behaviors of others. said.

He continued, "If my book can resonate with Korean readers, I will be very happy as a writer."

(Photo = Getty Images Korea)