Literary Anthology Growth... High Participation of Young Writers on Timely Topics

Korean Essays and Novel Anthologies Published in the First Half of This Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Seomideum] The trend of increasing anthology publications in the literary field is becoming prominent. An anthology refers to a collection of writings by multiple authors compiled under a single theme or genre. According to Yes24's data, the number of new domestic essay and novel anthologies has steadily increased over the past three years. Last year, the number of Korean essay anthologies published was 330, approximately 2.7 times higher than in 2019. The number of Korean novel anthologies published was 133, also about 1.14 times higher than in 2019.

Active participation by emerging writers is notable. Among the sixteen candidates selected for Yes24's 'Young Writers Who Will Be the Future of Korean Literature in 2022'?including Kim Byeongun, Kim Hyejin, Moon Mokha, Park Sangyoung, Park Seoryeon, Baek Eunseon, Seol Jaein, Yeon Yeoreum, Woo Dayoung, Lee Yuri, Im Sola, Jeong Hyunwoo, Jo Yeeun, Cheon Seollan, Choi Yuan, and Choi Jiin?who debuted after 2012 or have published their first short story collections, novels, or poetry collections, the majority have published at least one anthology.

In the first half of this year, the publication and sales of SF novel anthologies notably increased. The characteristic of anthologies, which include works by various authors in relatively short lengths, is analyzed to have lowered the entry barrier for general readers to the SF genre.

According to Yes24's tally of Korean SF novel anthology publications over the past five years, the number of publications, which was in the single digits in 2017, increased to double digits starting in 2019. Especially, the 13 Korean SF novel anthologies published in the first half of this year have already approached the total number published throughout last year. Sales also recorded a growth rate of 50.71% compared to the first half of last year, receiving much love from many readers.

Timeliness, which quickly reflects socially topical issues, is also one of the characteristics of anthology publications. Young writers actively participate in raising their voices on trending keywords, climate issues, gender issues, and challenging adventurous themes.

The themed short story collection by eight young novelists, ‘Gwanjongiran Mari Jom Geureochyo’ (The Word 'Gwanjong' Is a Bit Awkward), is a book that explores the word 'gwanjong,' which is familiar and widely used in our society, and the stories of people behind it in each author's own way. ‘Ilinyong Capsule’ (Single-Person Capsule) is an anthology containing four distinct stories that contemplate the direction of the Earth and humanity with the theme of the climate crisis. ‘Nemesis’ is a mystery short story collection by four female writers focusing on postpartum depression. The experiences of childbirth and parenting by the authors are reflected, making the psychological descriptions vividly alive.