[57th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards] Kevin O'Rourke Prize winner Ku Bon-seung
For Ku Bon-seung, translating fiction began with wanting to share something remarkable with friends who could not read Korean. After reading a novella by writer Danyao in the summer of 2025, Ku asked for permission to translate it. The author suggested translating the whole collection instead. That exchange led to Ku’s English translation of “Giraffe Is the Name of the World,” which won this…
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Ku Bon-seung, the recipient of the Kevin O’Rourke Prize at the 57th Modern Korean Literature Translation Awards, began his translating journey with a desire to share an extraordinary story with friends who could not read Korean. After stumbling upon a novella by writer Danyao during the summer of 2025, Ku approached the author for permission to translate the entire work.
The author's suggestion to translate the collection sparked Ku’s English adaptation of "Giraffe Is the Name of the World," which ultimately earned him this year’s prestigious award.
Having delved into Danyao’s fiction, Ku gained a deeper appreciation for translation as a means of witnessing an experience that cannot be fully encapsulated in a summary. He explained, "I experienced something remarkable while reading Danyao’s works, and I knew that this quality was holistic, irreducible to a well-delivered summary."
Ku emphasized that mere sharing of the Korean text and suggesting translation tools would not suffice in fulfilling the responsibility of conveying the author's intent. In his own words, "If I wanted to make a testimony, I should indeed make it — be responsible for it."
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.
