[Book Sip] The Childhood Horror of War in 'Hansel and Gretel's Island'

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of the book itself, while others instantly reach the reader's heart, creating a connection with the book. We present meaningful sentences excerpted from the book. - Editor's note

This is a poetry collection by the author who spent their childhood filled with air raids, hunger, and fear after the outbreak of World War II around the age of seven. The terror witnessed in childhood is sublimated into a mysterious poem titled "Hansel and Gretel's Island." It is also the recipient of the prestigious Japanese poetry literary award, the "H Prize." It was newly published this year in January to commemorate the author who passed away.

The lonely island has since quietly awaited us in the shape of an elephant to take us to the forest shade where the sky and sparkling ferns are

- Page 19, Hansel and Gretel's Island

In the deep forest, the spores of the ferns rained down like gold The witch was coming back to life inside the hearth There were no more bread crumbs or pebbles left in his pocket At the end of that short summer, he died It was a summer like a small, transparent glass People seemed to call such a summer love

- Page 21, from Hansel and Gretel's Island

Connect those many stains left like small stars on the wall The strange animals we longed for every night in our childhood are there

- Page 47, The House of Trees

Hansel and Gretel's Island | Mizuno Ruriko (author) | Translated by Jeong Su-yoon | ITTA | 136 pages | 12,000 KRW