Im Seong-sun's crime thriller "The Consultant," translated by An Seon-jae (also known as Brother Anthony), has been shortlisted for a prestigious crime fiction award, said the book's Korean publisher, EunHaengNaMu Publishing, on Monday.
The novel is among the six finalists in the Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation category at the 2024 Crime Writers' Association Dagger awards.
Originally published in Korean in 2010, Im's debut novel, which won the Segye Literary Prize organized by Segye Ilbo, a Korean daily, was released in English last year by Raven Books, an imprint of Bloomsbury.
"The Consultant" introduces readers to an anonymous narrator employed at the "Company," skilled in orchestrating seemingly natural deaths. The plot thickens when he encounters a familiar face as his next target. The story delves into themes of anonymity, capitalism and violence inflicted by social structures.
The book has been translated or is scheduled to be released into multiple languages, including Spanish, Japanese, Arabic, Turkish, Russian and Estonian.
The CWA Dagger, established by the Crime Writers' Association in 1955, is one of the distinguished awards in crime fiction, encompassing thrillers, suspense and spy fictions.
Novelist Yun Ko-eun made history in 2021 as the first Asian recipient of the Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation for her novel "The Disaster Tourist," translated by Lizzie Buehler.
This year's shortlist for the Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation includes "Red Queen" by Juan Gomez-Jurado, "The Sins of Our Fathers" by Asa Larsson, "Nothing is Lost" by Cloe Mehdi, "The Prey" by Yrsa Sigurdardottir and "My Husband" by Maud Ventura.
The winner will be announced on July 4, along with the other 12 Dagger award recipients.
