Paris Book Fair to feature literature from Korea

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Paris Book Fair to feature literature from Korea

Korea has been invited to the 2016 Paris Book Fair as a distinguished guest and will participate in the event which will be held from Thursday to Sunday in Paris.

Korea and France are currently celebrating 130 years of diplomatic relations with the Korea-France Year, and the book fair serves as an important opportunity to further enhance cultural interaction between the two countries.

Started in 1988, the book fair is considerable in scale, as 1,500 companies from 55 different countries participated and 250,000 people visited the fair as of 2015.

In one hall of the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles specially prepared for the distinguished guest, 60 books from 30 Korean writers will be displayed, including those of Hwang Sok-young, Han Kang, Jeong Yu-jeong, Kim Young-ha and many others.

Along with the book display, there will be a corner where different trends in the Korean publishing industry, including e-publishing, webtoons, children’s books and illustrations, will be introduced by related Korean companies.

In addition, after the opening ceremony, there will be 14 events prepared to help visitors become more familiar with Korean literature. Korean author Kim Young-ha will discuss the revival of Korean literature in a seminar on Friday.

The following day, Han Kang, Oh Jung-hi and Kim Ae-ran will talk about issues regarding literature and women. Other events have been prepared to discuss and introduce topics related to Korean literature, such as traditional literature, contemporary poetry and children’s books.

Visitors will also be able to purchase Korean books during the exhibition at the Gibert-Joseph bookstore, at which some 10,000 Korean books will be displayed.

Book lovers can also check out events prepared by the National Book Center and Institut Francais. Attendees will be able to meet both Korean and French authors as they interact with readers, recite their works and debate on topics such as literature and globalization. Some of them will hold book-signing events as well. A total of 47 events will be held at the exhibition hall and the National Book Center.

“The book fair will be a stepping stone for Korean literature to enter into Europe,” said Yoon Tae-yong from the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

“I hope that the fair will enhance cultural understanding and interaction between Korea and France.”


BY KIM HYE-JUN[kim.hyejun@joongang.co.kr]
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