Han Kang, the winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, was born in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1970. She is widely known for her emotionally resonant and thought-provoking novels, particularly The Vegetarian (2007), which earned her international recognition after it was translated into English. This novel delves into themes of personal alienation, the human body, and societal norms, presenting a protagonist who decides to stop eating meat in response to disturbing dreams, triggering drastic changes in her relationships and mental state.
Han's writing often confronts difficult historical traumas, such as in Human Acts (2014), which revisits the violent Gwangju Uprising of 1980 through multiple perspectives. This novel highlights her profound interest in exploring the weight of collective memory and the painful remnants of historical atrocities. Her works tend to blend lyrical beauty with raw, brutal content, a combination that the Nobel Committee particularly praised for capturing the fragility of human life.
Her poetic and meditative prose is also characterized by a deep exploration of inner landscapes, examining human suffering, trauma, and resilience. Han Kang's writing challenges conventional boundaries, offering both tender and harrowing depictions of life that resonate with universal human experiences.
Han Kang, the winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, was born in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1970. She is widely known for her emotionally resonant and thought-provoking novels, particularly The Vegetarian (2007), which earned her international recognition after it was translated into English. This novel delves into themes of personal alienation, the human body, and societal norms, presenting a protagonist who decides to stop eating meat in response to disturbing dreams, triggering drastic changes in her relationships and mental state.
Han's writing often confronts difficult historical traumas, such as in Human Acts (2014), which revisits the violent Gwangju Uprising of 1980 through multiple perspectives. This novel highlights her profound interest in exploring the weight of collective memory and the painful remnants of historical atrocities. Her works tend to blend lyrical beauty with raw, brutal content, a combination that the Nobel Committee particularly praised for capturing the fragility of human life.
Her poetic and meditative prose is also characterized by a deep exploration of inner landscapes, examining human suffering, trauma, and resilience. Han Kang's writing challenges conventional boundaries, offering both tender and harrowing depictions of life that resonate with universal human experiences.