The 24th annual Daesan Literary Awards has announced the winners of Korea’s most valuable annual literary prizes for this year.
This year’s winners are Lee Jang-wook for his book of poetry titled “Because It’s Not Forever”; Kim Yi-jeong for her fictional work “The Life of Phantom”; Jung Hong-soo’s “Wavering Shades of Blue” for literary criticism; and Jung Min-jeong and Irma Zyanya Gil Yanez for their joint Spanish translation of Gu Byeong-mo’s “Wizard Bakery.”
“The Daesan Literary Awards is given to literary figures who have spent years striving to enrich Korea’s literary heritage and promote said heritage domestically and overseas,” the Daesan Literary Awards said in a statement.
The winners of each category are given prize money of 50 million won ($44,000). The annual awards include up to five categories: poetry, fiction, drama, criticism and translation.
All the award-winning works will be translated into various languages and published by reputed publishers overseas by next year.
The Daesan Literary Awards is run by the Daesan Foundation and was established by Shin Yong-ho, founder of Korea’s largest bookstore, Kyobo Book Center.
This year’s award ceremony will be held on Nov. 30 at the Korea Press Center in Seoul.