Kim Hyesoon's "Autobiography of Death" Wins German International Literature Prize

First Korean Recipient of the Award

Poet Kim Hyesoon has been awarded the International Literature Prize by the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Germany for her poetry collection "Autobiographie des Todes" (Autobiography of Death).

Artist Hyesoon Kim. Daesan Foundation

On July 17, the Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Germany presented the International Literature Prize to poet Kim Hyesoon at its award ceremony. Translators Park Sul and Uljana Wolf, who rendered the collection into German, were also honored as co-recipients of the prize.

"Autobiography of Death" was introduced to German-speaking readers for the first time through the support of the Daesan Foundation’s Korean literature translation and publication program. Translation support was provided in 2023, followed by publication support in 2025. The translation was carried out by Park Sul and Uljana Wolf, and the collection was published by the renowned German literary publisher S. Fischer in February of this year.

The Haus der Kulturen der Welt International Literature Prize is a prestigious literary award that annually selects the most outstanding work of contemporary literature translated into German. Both the author and the translators are recognized. The total prize money is 35,000 euros (approximately 56 million KRW), with 20,000 euros awarded to the author and 15,000 euros to the translators.

Previously, in 2011, Kim Hyesoon was awarded the Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize for her English-language poetry collection "All the Garbage of the World, Unite!", which also received translation and publication support from the Daesan Foundation.

The poetry collection "Autobiography of Death" by poet Kim Hyesoon, published in German.

A representative of the Daesan Foundation stated, "Following the Griffin Poetry Prize in Canada, the Cicada Prize in Sweden, and the National Book Critics Circle Award in the United States, the news of Kim Hyesoon's successive international literary awards demonstrates that both the poet and Korean literature are being recognized for their depth and universal value on the global stage. Alongside the Daesan Foundation’s efforts to promote Korean literature worldwide, we expect this award to serve as another milestone in establishing Korean literature as a body of work that is read and appreciated by people around the world."