Jeon Gun-woo's occult mystery novel "You Must Not Hear This," published in April, has secured translation rights deals in 11 countries, including the US and several European markets, the Korean publisher Rabbit Hole said.
The deals cover the United States, Italy, France, Spain, Germany and Japan, among other countries. The total advances for the rights sold so far have exceeded 300 million won ($225,000).
The worldwide English-language rights deal followed a preemptive offer from Evil Twin, a horror-focused imprint of US independent publisher Zando. The novel also secured a translation rights deal with Oscar Vault, an imprint of Mondadori, Italy's largest publishing group.
The novel follows a horror novelist investigating a curse known as "hyungdam," in which anyone who hears a particular tale is visited by an evil spirit and meets a gruesome death.
Drawing on traditional horror elements, including evil spirits, spells and Korean shamanistic beliefs, the novel gradually reveals the origins of the curse against the backdrop of tragic episodes in modern Korean history.
Jeon made his debut as a horror novelist 18 years ago and has since established himself as one of South Korea's leading writers in the genre. His novel "The Twisted House" was adapted into the film "Contorted," while another of his works inspired the drama series "Salon de Holmes." His novel "Tales from a Gosiwon" is also awaiting a film adaptation.
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com
