[57th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards] Fiction Grand Prize winner Breanna Hundley
For Breanna Hundley, the horror in a story about a woman struggling to recover her rental deposit felt close to home. Having experienced a deposit scare while living in Seoul, the American translator was drawn to Cho Ye-eun’s “How to Get Your Deposit Back,” which transforms an ordinary financial worry into something frightening. Her English translation won the fiction Grand Prize in the 57th…
![[57th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards] Fiction Grand Prize winner Breanna Hundley](/img/19229837)
Breanna Hundley, an American translator, emerged victorious in the 57th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards, securing the Fiction Grand Prize for her rendition of Cho Ye-eun's chilling tale, "How to Get Your Deposit Back." The story, which delves into a woman's struggle to reclaim her lost rental deposit, resonated deeply with Hundley due to its personal relevance.
Having faced a similar financial distress while residing in Seoul, she found the transformation of this mundane issue into a horror narrative particularly captivating.
Hundley's English translation was acclaimed for its ability to vividly depict scenes that almost seemed cinematic. Recognizing the universal appeal of housing anxiety, she aimed to convey the story's emotional spectrum—from the stress and frustration of dealing with a deposit dispute to the fear and excitement that ensued. By doing so, she sought to bridge the cultural gap between Korean and English-speaking readers, inviting them to empathize with the protagonist's predicament on a global scale.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
