Seoul International Book Fair Opens Tomorrow... Gulliver's Travels 'Huineum' Theme

Until the 30th at COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
'Largest Book Festival in Korea with Participants from 19 Countries'
Held Without Budget Support Amid 'Conflict with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism'

The 2024 Seoul International Book Fair will be held from the 26th to the 30th at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul. The Seoul International Book Fair, hosted by the Korea Publishers Association (KPA) and supported by the Korea Publication Culture Promotion Foundation, is the largest book festival in Korea and is celebrating its 66th edition this year.

This year, the Seoul International Book Fair will feature 452 exhibitors from 19 countries (330 domestic companies and 122 overseas companies), presenting over 450 programs including exhibitions, side events, lectures, seminars, and on-site events. The total number of authors and speakers attending in person is 185, with 151 domestic and 34 international participants. This is a slight decrease compared to last year, when 530 publishers from 36 countries and a total of 215 authors and speakers attended.

The reason for this year's decrease is that the Seoul International Book Fair is being held without government budget support. Since last year, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the KPA have been in conflict over the profits from the book fair.

Yoon Cheol-ho, president of the KPA, explained at a press conference held ahead of the book fair's opening, "This year's book fair is being conducted without budget support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, relying instead on donations and membership fees from member companies, as well as participation fees from publishers involved in the event."

2024 Seoul International Book Fair Theme Book 'Gulliver's Travels' Cover [Photo provided by the Korea Publishers Association]

The theme of this year's Seoul International Book Fair is ‘Houyhnhnm’. Houyhnhnm is an ideal world depicted as a perfect society in Jonathan Swift’s (1667?1745) novel Gulliver's Travels.

To commemorate ‘Houyhnhnm’, the themed book Gulliver Yulamgi and a limited edition anthology titled Houyhnhnm - White Shadows on Black Photographic Paper will also be published.

Gulliver Yulamgi is a retelling of Gulliver's Travels by novelist Kim Yeon-su. The original Gulliver's Travels was first translated into Korean by Choi Nam-seon, a prominent literary figure, and introduced domestically. However, only the first two parts?the stories of Lilliput and Brobdingnag?were included in that edition. Kim Yeon-su added the previously omitted third part, Laputa, and the fourth part, Houyhnhnm, to create the new Gulliver Yulamgi. Illustrations by artist Kang Hye-sook are also included. On the first day of the book fair, the 26th, the two authors will introduce the production process of Gulliver Yulamgi in a session moderated by Jo Yeon-ju, CEO of Lez? Publishing.

On the 27th, a lecture titled ‘Recipes Connected by Memory’ will be held featuring Michelle Zauner, author of Crying in H Mart and lead vocalist of the band Japanese Breakfast. Additionally, a session titled ‘Where Does the Arrow of Peace Point?’ will explore human violence and conflict, featuring Palestinian conflict researcher Jung Hwan-bin, journalist Kim Min-kwan, and Jeong Joo-jin, director of the Peace and Conflict Research Institute, discussing directions for peace. On the 29th, ecologist Professor Choi Jae-chun will give a lecture on ‘Vanishing Beauty, Ecological Sensibility’.

A book talk is also scheduled with Omani novelist Jokha Alharthi, winner of the 2019 Man Booker International Prize, Korean novelist Eun Hee-kyung, and literary critic Heo Hee. Other participants in the book fair’s themed seminars include media artist Kwon Byung-jun, sociologist and poet Shim Bo-seon, physicist Kim Sang-wook, and Dennis Nørmark, co-author of Fake Labor. Over the five days, lectures and exhibitions exploring and offering insights into the world from various perspectives under the theme of Houyhnhnm will continue.