7-minute Phone Interview with Nobel Committee
"Truly Surprised and Honored"
"Celebrated with Son Over Tea"
On the 10th (local time), Han Kang (53), the first Korean writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, expressed her award acceptance remarks in a phone interview with the Nobel Committee, saying, "I was really surprised," and "Tonight, I will quietly celebrate by drinking tea with my son."
On that day, the Nobel Committee's YouTube account released a 7-minute English interview between Han Kang and the committee. She calmly and slowly continued her acceptance remarks in a low voice.
During the interview, she repeated the word "surprised" five times and revealed that she learned about the award while at her home in Seoul, just after finishing dinner with her son. Before hearing the news, Han Kang said, "It was a comfortable day of reading books and taking a walk."
When asked, "What does being the first Korean Nobel laureate in Literature mean to you?" she said, "I can say that I grew up with Korean literature," and added, "I hope this news will be good for Korean literature readers and my fellow writer friends as well."
Below is a Q&A between Han Kang and the Nobel Committee.
- How do you feel right now?
▲ I am very surprised and truly honored.
- How did you find out about the award?
▲ Someone called me and told me about the news. Of course, I was surprised. I had just finished dinner with my son. It was around 8 p.m. Korean time, a very peaceful evening. I was really surprised.
- Are you currently at your home in Seoul?
▲ Yes. I am at home in Seoul right now.
- What were you doing today?
▲ I did not work today. I read a little and took a short walk. It was a very comfortable day for me.
- How did your son react to the news?
▲ My son was also surprised. But we haven't had much time to talk about it yet. We were just surprised, that's all.
- What does winning the Nobel Prize in Literature mean to you?
▲ It is an honor, and I am very grateful for the support from the Nobel Committee. I am simply thankful.
- As the first Korean Nobel laureate in Literature, what does this mean to you?
▲ Yes. As you know, I grew up reading not only translated books but also books written in Korean. So I can say that I grew up with Korean literature, which I feel very close to. I hope this news will be good for Korean literature readers and my fellow writer friends as well.
- You mentioned growing up with a literary background. Which author was the most important source of inspiration?
▲ When I was young, old authors were a collective presence. They sought meaning in life, sometimes got lost, and sometimes were resolute. All their efforts and strength were my inspiration. Therefore, it is very difficult for me to pick a few names that inspired me.
- I read that Astrid Lindgren (Swedish children's literature author) was one of the authors who inspired you.
▲ When I was young, I really liked her book The Brothers Lionheart. However, I cannot say she was the only author who inspired me during my childhood because I was able to connect that book with my questions about humans, life, and death.
- What book would you suggest to someone who just learned about you to start reading?
▲ I think all authors like their most recent work. So I hope my most recent work, Human Acts, can be a starting point. This book is directly connected to some human behaviors.
Also, I recommend White, which is very personal to me because it is quite autobiographical. And there is The Vegetarian. But I hope people start with my recent work, Human Acts.
- International readers know The Vegetarian best. What does this work mean to you?
▲ I wrote that work over three years, and those three years were quite difficult for some reason. I think I had trouble finding images of the characters surrounding the protagonist and images like trees in the work.
- How do you plan to celebrate this award?
▲ I want to drink tea. I do not drink alcohol. So I want to quietly celebrate tonight by drinking tea with my son.
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