Jeong Eun-woo's "Gukjajeon" Wins Today's Writer Award

The 46th Today's Writer Award Goes to Jeong Eun-woo's 'Gukjajeon'
A Work Highlighting Wit and Imagination
Award Ceremony on the 21st of Next Month... Prize Money of 20 Million Won

Jeong Eun-woo, writer

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo Mideum] Minumsa announced on the 28th that writer Jeong Eun-woo's work "Gukjajeon" has been selected as the winner of the 46th Today's Writer Award.

The winning work is a novel distinguished by its witty and energetic storytelling and lively imagination. It has been praised for adding genre imagination to the traditional form of jeon (傳), showcasing new possibilities and vitality in Korean literature.

The judging panel stated, "The heroic narrative style unique to Jeong Eun-woo, which traverses the space-time from modern to contemporary Korea through the perspectives of two female characters representing the older and younger generations, 'Gukja' and 'Miji,' is the brightest and most vivid manifestation of the future we have longed for." They added, "Beyond the politically polarized reality of Korean society, the overwhelming narrative scale that encompasses the entire modern history, combined with the novelty of adding genre imagination to the rarely seen traditional jeon (傳) form in recent Korean literature, is a strong point."

From October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022, fifty recommenders composed of publishers, booksellers, journalists, writers, and critics each voted for two titles among first novels published during the year, selecting seven final nominees. The final judging panel consisted of five members: Park Min-jung (novelist), Shin Saet-byeol (literary critic), Lee Ki-ho (novelist), Jeong Yong-jun (novelist), and Pyeon Hye-young (novelist).

Writer Jeong Eun-woo expressed her gratitude, saying, "Silence will eventually be broken. Novels keep knocking on that solid silence. Since it cannot be spoken, it is described and narrated. Believing it will break, I never stop expressing. I am glad to be able to write while living together."

The award ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Minumsa building on the 21st of next month. The prize money is 20 million won. The full acceptance speech and judges' comments can be found on the Minumsa blog and in issue 39 of "Litter," to be published in early December.