Daesan Foundation and Korean Writers' Association to Host Commemorative Literature Festival on 11th-12th
The 2023 Centennial Literary Festival commemorating writers born 100 years ago will be held on the 11th and 12th under the theme "Discovery and Dissemination: Region, Media, Genre, and Readers." This annual festival honors writers who have reached their 100th birth anniversary, and this year, it has selected Park Yong-gu, Bang Gi-hwan, Jeong Han-mo, Han Seong-gi, Han Un-sa, and Hong Gu-beom, all born in 1923, as the featured authors.
At a press conference held on the 2nd at the Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, Woo Chan-je, a professor at Sogang University and the planning committee chair, explained, "We focused on writers who debuted during the liberation period, experienced the Korean War, and worked to find their literary direction and reclaim their mother tongue. Existing literary histories tend to cover only those who have been evaluated, but this time, we aimed to shed light on those who have not received much attention."
Among the six featured authors, Han Un-sa, who wrote the screenplay for the 1964 blockbuster film Red Scarf, and Jeong Han-mo, known as the "first generation Korean literature scholar" and former Minister of Culture and Public Information, are somewhat well-known. However, the other authors are relatively unfamiliar to the general public.
The event consists of a symposium and a literary night. The symposium will be held on the 11th at Daesan Hall on the 23rd floor of the Kyobo Building in Gwanghwamun, where Professor Woo Chan-je of Sogang University will lead a group of literary critics in exploring the six featured authors. Presentations include: Professor Shin Eun-kyung of Korea University discussing "Bang Gi-hwan’s 1950s Short Stories," Professor Jo Young-bok of Kwangwoon University presenting "Jeong Han-mo or the Fate of the Poet-Professor," and Professor Kim Jeong-sook of Chungnam National University addressing "What Hong Gu-beom’s Literature Intends to Convey and Its Modernity."
The "Literary Night" will take place on the 12th at Majung Hall on the 6th floor of Mapo Central Library. Critic Yang Soon-mo will host, and young writers such as Kim Min-ji, Kim Su-on, Kim Ho-seong, Do Jae-kyung, and Jang Seong-wook will read works by senior authors. Poet Choi Ji-in will present a short poetic play prepared with musical director Kim Gil-ryeo. There will also be a performance by the music group Troubadour, who sing poetry.
As part of the event, writings from the families of the deceased authors will be published in the summer issue of the quarterly Daesan Munhwa in the "My Father" section. A bibliography will also be published, compiling the symposium’s presentations and discussions along with the authors’ biographies, work chronologies, and research references.
Applications for the symposium can be made through the Daesan Cultural Foundation website. The content will later be made available on the Daesan Cultural Foundation’s YouTube channel.
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