"The passion of ballet matches the intensity of my novels"
"Devoting my life to deliver life's lessons as a message"
Capturing the feeling of love in classical music directly in the novel
"The value of art shines brighter in times of turmoil"
"Ballet novels don't sell." - Editor
"If I can't convince you even with the finished manuscript, I will gladly accept your decision." - Writer Juhye Kim
On the 17th, writer Juhye Kim is speaking at a publication press conference held at a hotel in Insadong. Dasan Books
Writer Juhye Kim, who won Russia's most prestigious literary award, the Tolstoy Literary Prize, in 2024 for "Beasts of a Small Land," a novel about ordinary people who fought on the Korean Peninsula during the Japanese occupation, has returned with "City of Night Birds" (Dasan Books), a new work centered on ballet. On the ballet stage of St. Petersburg, the story depicts an artist's inner struggle as a "concerto." While "Beasts of a Small Land" captured the history of Korea filled with the roar of beasts, this new novel leads readers to Russia, the city of ballet, where night birds soar gracefully.
As previously mentioned, when Juhye Kim was planning "City of Night Birds" as her next work after "Beasts of a Small Land" in 2021, her editor strongly discouraged her. The editor argued that writing a book on ballet, a subject with relatively limited mass appeal, would make it difficult to attract readers. Nevertheless, Kim maintained her conviction, stating that she would "write exactly as imagined" regardless of marketability. Kim explained, "Immediate sales right after publication are not important to me. What matters is the sales over the next 50 years," and added, "What have I learned about life? What message will I deliver to readers? That is what matters. My literature is about working as if I would give my life for it."
The novel is set in St. Petersburg, Moscow, and Paris, and follows the protagonist Natalia as she overcomes poverty and deprivation to become the world's greatest prima ballerina, but must bear the price that comes with it. The story shines a light on both the brilliance and shadows of artists, asking what we are willing to sacrifice to protect what is most precious in life. Natalia is essentially a reflection of Kim herself. She said, "I think Natalia's blind love for art and her passion to sacrifice everything resemble me," adding, "Although I practiced ballet as a child, I never had the skill to become a ballerina, but my nature is that of a ballerina. The commonality between ballet and my writing style is 'intensity.' I believe that kind of energy and spirit is what makes ballet and my work alike."
Classical music also inspired this novel. Kim said that when she listened to Mozart's Symphony Concerto No. 23, "I felt that love was noble on one hand and corrupt on the other," and added, "I tried to translate the emotions I felt from the concerto directly into the novel."
Although there may be critical perspectives on a novel set in Russia due to the war in Ukraine, the author is unfazed. She stated, "Not writing a book out of fear of criticism is a form of censorship. Censorship is not democratic," and added, "I believe in only publishing books I am willing to risk my life to testify to. Whether I am attacked or not, I don't care."
Although her request to visit Russia was denied due to the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the novel was reviewed by a former dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, who gave it high praise. She said, "Russians have immense pride in their culture. Bolshoi dancers have tremendous pride," and added, "That dancer told me he cried twice while reading this book. Hearing that, I knew I had written it right."
Kim emphasized that this novel is the kind of art that is desperately needed in these turbulent times, both in Korea and abroad. She said, "True art is not just about enjoying luxury, but about opening the hearts of all living beings," and stressed, "I believe this kind of art is truly necessary in an era of war and polarization."
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