Best-selling Canadian author Yann Martel says no one is above fiction

Books

Published: 13 Jun. 2023, 16:28 Updated: 14 Jun. 2023, 21:58

Best-selling Canadian author Yann Martel says no one is above fiction

Canadian author Yann Martel answers questions from the press at the Canadian Embassy in central Seoul, visiting Korea in celebration of Korea and Canada’s 60th year of diplomatic relations, on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

No world leader should ever consider themselves above fiction, according to best-selling Canadian author Yann Martel.

Best known for penning the Booker-winning novel “Life of Pi” (2002), Martel spoke to local press on Tuesday at the Canadian Embassy in central Seoul, visiting Korea in celebration of Korea and Canada’s 60th year of diplomatic relations.

“Reading fiction is one of the best ways to become wise and learn about the world,” he said. “It is also how one dreams [...] so when I hear of presidents who don’t read fiction, I wonder how they draw up visions for our societies. I am afraid that their dreams may become my nightmares if they don't read."

Martel was his own witness to the claim and discussed his own eye-opening experience while drafting “Life of Pi.”

“'Life of Pi’ was my quest to fall in love with the divine,” he said. “I come from a very secular family who replaced god statues with art paintings [...] but backpacking through India for six months, I learned that what we humans can be, can only be explored through religion and art [...] Discovering that was very satisfying.”

"Life of Pi” is a philosophical journey of an Indian boy who gets stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger. It has been published in 50 countries and was made into a movie in 2013. It was a huge box-office hit, generating over $609 million in worldwide ticket sales, according to IMDb.

Next in line for release is a historical fiction tentatively titled “Son of Nobody" where Martel will recount the Trojan War with a modern twist, inspired by Homer's ancient Greek poem “The Iliad” (800 B.C.E).

“I had no intention of becoming inspired by it when I began reading it, but found it extraordinarily thrilling [...] Though it is an ancient book, the storyline speaks to the contemporary world as we also have clashes of civilizations due to greed, and wonder ‘where will it lead us?’”

The book is slated for publication in North America next spring.

The ongoing visit is Martel’s first in Korea.

“I’m delighted to be here,” he said. “I arrived a week ago with my son and his friend and we've been experiencing Korea, staying at hanok [Korean traditional house] and visiting Sokcho [in Gangwon]. What especially surprised me was the mountainous geography which reminded me in part of Canada, and how cosmopolitan it is.”

“Part of the trip that was stimulating to me as a writer was visiting the DMZ [demilitarized zone],” he said, adding that it was shocking to witness the contrast between South and North Korea. “It is living with tragedies of war and to witness that was quite a memorable experience.”

Martel will also attend the Seoul International Book Fair in COEX, southern Seoul, to lecture on what defines humans on Wednesday, then participate in a panel discussion with Korean novelist Kim Jung-hyuk on Thursday.

In light of his visit, local publishing house Jakkajungsin Publishing released a special edition combining the Korean translations of Martel's “The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios” (1993) and “Life of Pi.”

“The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios” is a series of short stories focusing on death and hope, exploring how humans accept and cope with death and the different ways they remember those who have passed.

Book cover of the special edition combining the Korean translations of Yann Martel's “The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios” (1993) and “Life of Pi" (2002) [JAKKAJUNGSIN PUBLISHING]

This year marks Martel's 30th year as a professional writer.

“I’ve certainly evolved over the years as a writer,” he said. “Nowadays, I am writing more experimental books.” Martel hinted that he is tackling the topic of Alzheimers’ disease and playing around with narrative order in a book that he is working on right now.

“After 30 years, I still find writing exhilarating because writing is an exciting way to understand life,” he said.

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]