Novel 'Almond' Sells 1 Million Copies... Also Sells 200,000 Copies in Japan

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The novel Almond (Changbi) has surpassed 1 million copies sold domestically.

Almond, written by author Son Won-pyung who debuted after winning the 10th Changbi Youth Literature Award, has reached 1 million copies sold in South Korea five years after its publication. It has also sold 200,000 copies in Japan.

So far, Almond has been translated and exported to over 20 countries including the United States, Spain, and Japan, reaching readers worldwide. It has also been adapted into musicals and plays both domestically and internationally. In 2020, it became the first Asian work to win the Translation Novel category at the Japan Booksellers Award, establishing itself as a "masterpiece of world literature beyond Asia."

Almond tells the special coming-of-age story of a boy who cannot feel emotions. Once readers start the first chapter, they find it hard to put down due to its strong narrative pull. The novel has been praised for its excellent depiction of characters forming relationships with others, empathizing with sorrow, and growing. It features dramatic events unfolding like a movie and a captivating writing style. With the universal theme of "emotion," it captures the hearts of people living in contemporary times.

Changbi is releasing a limited special edition including a "Rewritten Author’s Note." In this note, Son Won-pyung reflects, "I sometimes hear that readers who read Almond in middle school have already become university students or completed their military service," and expresses his humble commitment to continue his work. Son Won-pyung continues diverse creative activities, publishing not only the novel Almond, which can be read by all generations, but also the short story collection Other People’s Houses, the novels The Counterattack of Thirty and Prism, and the children’s book series Majestic Fox Tail.

To celebrate the release of the 1 million copies commemorative special edition, Changbi invites readers to the “1 Million Copies Commemorative Book Party” with author Son Won-pyung. The book party will be held on the 24th of next month at the 50th Anniversary Hall of the Changbi Seogyo Building. Applications can be made through online channels such as internet bookstores and the Changbi blog.