‘The Boy Is Coming’ Book Cafe... Kickstarting ‘Reading Gwangju’

Poetry, Jeonil Building 245... Collection of Past Nobel Literature Prize Works Available

The 'Boy Comes' Book Cafe set up on the first floor of Jeonil Building 245 by Gwangju City.
[Photo provided by Gwangju City]

Gwangju City announced on the 22nd that it will operate the 'The Boy is Coming' mini book cafe on the first floor of Jeonil Building 245, a historic site of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, until the end of this year. The operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The book cafe, established to commemorate author Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature, stocks over 30 books including 'The Boy is Coming', 'The Vegetarian', 'Never Let Me Go', 'I Put Dinner in the Drawer', 'Greek Lessons', and 'Your Cold Hand', allowing citizens to experience the author's literary world. Additionally, books by past Nobel laureates such as Orhan Pamuk, Annie Ernaux, Abdulrazak Gurnah, Peter Handke, and Louise Gl?ck are also available.

Author Han Kang was born in Jungheung-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, and attended Hyodong Elementary School. Her representative work, 'The Boy is Coming', vividly depicts the tragic events set against the backdrop of the May 18 Democratic Uprising. Notably, Jeonil Building 245 is the historical site where the martial law troops fired helicopter gunfire during the May 18 Uprising and where citizen militias resisted the suppression operation at the provincial government office.

Kim Seong-bae, Director of Culture and Sports of Gwangju City, said, "'The Boy is Coming' mini book cafe is a small space commemorating Han Kang's Nobel Prize in Literature win," adding, "As a meaningful place where citizens of Gwangju, who bravely fought against military dictatorship and led the democratization of South Korea, share pride and dignity, we hope visitors feel the author's literary world here."