By Muhammad Nadeem
SRINAGAR: In a momentous recognition of poetic depth, South Korean author Han Kang has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy honored her for her intense poetic prose that explores the fragility of human life and confronts historical traumas. At 53, Han becomes the first South Korean and the 18th woman to win the prestigious prize.
Announced by Mats Malm, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy’s Nobel Committee, the prize comes with a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor ($1 million) and a gold medal. The ceremony, scheduled for December 10, promises to be a proud moment for Korean literature, as Han’s groundbreaking contributions are set to shine on a global stage.
In the wake of the announcement, Han remained grounded, reflecting her personal and professional humility. Upon receiving the life-changing news, she shared a candid reaction, “I’m so surprised and honored. I’d like to have tea with my son. I’ll celebrate it quietly.” This modest response underscores Han’s tendency to eschew the limelight, even as she is thrust into the global literary spotlight.
Han’s poetic prose and experimental narratives, which often blend the physical and metaphysical, have been lauded for their ability to evoke empathy for vulnerable, often female, characters. Nobel Committee chairman Anders Olsson praised her “physical empathy” for her characters, noting her unique awareness of the connection between body and soul. Han’s prose, Olsson added, allows her to be an innovator in contemporary literature.
Anna-Karin Palm, a member of the committee, further highlighted Han’s ability to address trauma, pain, and loss with compassion and care, praising her lyrical prose as both tender and brutal. This duality has positioned her as a formidable force in literary circles, both in South Korea and internationally.
Han’s journey to literary prominence began humbly in 1993 with the publication of her poems in the magazine Literature and Society. Born in Gwangju in 1970, her family relocated to Seoul when she was nine. Her father, Han Seung-won, is a well-respected novelist, providing a literary foundation that would profoundly shape her career. She made her prose debut in 1995 with the short story collection Love of Yeosu, but it wasn’t until 2007 that she achieved international recognition.
The Vegetarian, arguably her most well-known work, is a disquieting tale of a woman whose decision to stop eating meat spirals into a surreal exploration of family dynamics, societal expectations, and mental health. This novel earned Han the Man Booker International Prize in 2016 after it was translated into English by Deborah Smith, bringing her work to a wider global audience. Smith’s translation received acclaim and stirred debate about the fidelity of literary translations, ultimately propelling Han’s status in the literary world.
Two years later, Han was shortlisted again for the Man Booker International Prize for Human Acts. This haunting novel is set in the aftermath of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, a tragic massacre where government forces brutally repressed a student-led protest. The novel’s historical context is deeply personal for Han, having grown up in Gwangju, where the event left an indelible mark on the city and its residents. Human Acts delves into the psychological and emotional toll of the massacre, weaving together individual and collective memories of violence and trauma.
In The White Book, published in English in 2018, Han continues to confront loss, this time reflecting on her mother’s grief over the death of an infant daughter. This autobiographical novel meditates on the color white, symbolizing both life and death, purity and mourning. Her most recent work, Greek Lessons (2023), explores loss and recovery through the lens of language, following a teacher losing his sight and a student who has lost her voice.
Han Kang’s Nobel Prize win is a significant cultural milestone for South Korea, a nation with a rich literary tradition that has often been overshadowed by its neighbors, Japan and China, in global cultural recognition. Her win resonates with Korean readers and translators alike, symbolizing a breakthrough moment for Korean literature on the international stage.
Paige Aniyah Morris, who is currently co-translating Han’s upcoming novel We Do Not Part into English, noted that this victory feels like a long-awaited triumph for South Korean literature. “Korea has been holding out for a Nobel Prize in Literature for decades, so this win has already gotten a massive response here”, she remarked in an email to the media. For Morris and other translators, Han’s recognition by the Nobel Committee promises to open more doors for Korean literature worldwide.
Han’s nuanced portrayal of societal and personal trauma, particularly through the lens of Korean history, offers readers a profound understanding of the human condition. Her ability to bridge the gap between individual suffering and larger historical narratives makes her work particularly resonant in today’s global literary landscape.
Han’s achievement continues a trend of women authors gaining recognition in a field that has historically been male-dominated. The last woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature was French author Annie Ernaux in 2022, and before her, Tanzanian writer Abdulrazak Gurnah won in 2021. As the 18th woman to receive this honor, Han joins an esteemed list of female laureates who have broken barriers in the literary world.
Her victory also highlights the increasing diversity of voices being recognized by the Nobel Committee. Han’s writing, rooted in Korean history and culture, offers a perspective that has often been underrepresented in global literary discussions. By honoring Han, the Nobel Committee underscores the importance of literature that speaks to universal themes through specific cultural lenses.
Han Kang’s work is far from finished. Her novel We Do Not Part is set to be published in the U.S. in January 2025, promising to continue her exploration of complex emotional and philosophical themes. As Korean literature gains momentum on the world stage, Han’s influence is likely to grow, inspiring a new generation of writers both within and outside of South Korea.
For now, though, Han remains characteristically understated in the wake of her Nobel win. As she prepares for the December award ceremony, one can imagine her quietly enjoying tea with her son, reflecting on her extraordinary journey from a young poet in Seoul to a global literary icon.
Han Kang’s Nobel Prize win is a testament to the power of literature to transcend boundaries, both cultural and emotional. Her ability to confront historical traumas, explore the fragility of life, and portray the vulnerability of her characters has resonated with readers worldwide. As the first South Korean to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, Han has not only carved a place for herself in the annals of literary history but has also shone a spotlight on the richness of Korean literature. Her victory is a source of pride for her nation and an inspiration for writers and readers across the globe.