Lee Younggwang Wins the 26th Baekseok Literary Award for 'A Heart That Seemed to Only Want to Live'

Poet Lee Young-gwang's poetry collection A Heart That Seemed to Want to Live has been selected as the winner of the 26th Baekseok Literary Award.

The Baekseok Literary Award judging panel commented, "'A Heart That Seemed to Want to Live' is a poetry collection that sounds an alarm against the widespread despair that the world is falling apart and strives to drive it away." They added, "The poet boldly describes the constantly changing emotions of the heart in a world where life and death, the strong and the weak, the poor and the rich confront each other in the neoliberal COVID era, using irony and paradox. The poetic ability to skillfully handle the irony inherent in all love, including love for life, evokes the image of 'Baekseok returning in a modern way,' which is why this collection was selected as this year's winner."

The preliminary judging was conducted by poets Shin Mina and Lee Geun-hwa, and the final judging was carried out by poets Kim Hae-ja and Jin Eun-young, along with literary critic Han Ki-wook.

Poet Lee Young-gwang was born in 1965 in Uiseong, Gyeongbuk, and debuted in 1998 through Munye Joongang. He has published poetry collections such as Trembling on a Straight Line, Making Friends with Shadows, Painful Heaven, The Tree Goes, Endless People, Looked at the Sun for a Long Time, and Cleanly Does Not Get Dirty, as well as essay collections like I Did Not Come to Earth to Make Money and Because Poetry Kills Us. He has received the Nojak Literary Award, Jihoon Literary Award, Midang Literary Award, and Hyeongpyeong Literary Award, among others.

Poet Lee Young-gwang [Photo by Changbi]

The Baekseok Literary Award was established in October 1997 with funds donated by Mrs. Jaya (real name Kim Young-han) to honor the outstanding poetic achievements of Baekseok (白石) and to carry on his pure literary spirit to the present day. The prize money is 20 million won.

The award ceremony is scheduled to be held in late November alongside the Manhae Literary Award, Shin Dong-yup Literary Award, and Changbi New Writer Literary Award.

The full acceptance speech and judges' comments for the 26th Baekseok Literary Award will be published in the winter 2024 issue (No. 206) of Changjakgwa Bipyeong.