HELLO! Russia / August 03, 2024

В последние десятилетия мы привыкли ориентироваться на европейскую литературу как на самую близкую нам с культурной, исторической, социальной, ментальной точки зрения. Южная Корея – это направление новое, до недавнего времени считавшееся нишевым. В какой момент произошло ее открытие для русскоязычного читателя? Екатерина Похолкова: Мы часто думаем, что европейская литература максимально приближена к нам с культурно-социальной точки зрения, но все же следует учитывать, что литература – это такое пространство, где общечеловеческого гораздо больше, чем частного или культурно обусловленного. Поэтому нам кажется, что европейская культура нам столь близка.

Cosmopolitan / August 21, 2024

Right now our BookTok recommendations have been full of Korean literature, from cosy healing fiction reads, to emotional and harrowing prize winning novels, it seems our reading lists are full of K-Literature stories. South Korea has shared it's literature with the world via translation for over a century, and in 1974 the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation gave a bigger boost to the sector by funding more translations of Korean works into English, but in the last few years there's been a real increase in Korean novels in our bookshops and on social media.

Gulf Weekly / October 02, 2024

THE English translation of a Korean bestseller by author Jungeun Yun entitled Marigold Mind Laundry and translated by Shanna Tan is set to hit the shelves on October 1. First published in 2023, the namesake Korean novel follows young Jieun who runs a laundry that removes the deepest pains from the hearts of her clients. As they tell their story, Jieun transfers their sadness onto T-shirts as stains. After a spin in the washing machine, the customer finds solace. Singapore-based literary talent Shanna specialises in translating from Korean, Chinese and Japanese to English. She finds herself drawn to ‘healing fiction’, a genre that the majority of her works fall under. “Healing fiction, to me, is a safe space that allows us to escape from reality, immerse ourselves in the experiences of others, reflect on issues that have been taking up too much of our mental capacity and health, and that provides a respite from everything else.” Shanna wrote in an article. “There’s a term in Korean and English for Korean literature that falls into this genre: K-healing. Most of the time, K-healers can be recognised by their book covers – a beautiful illustration of a building, such as a bookshop, a library or a convenience store,” she added.

The Economist / October 03, 2024

The country that gave the world popular bands such as BTS and hits such as “Parasite” and “Squid Game” is now exporting something slower-paced. The publication of “Marigold Mind Laundry” in America and Britain this month brings attention to the latest South Korean trend: the healing novel.

KoreaTimes / October 01, 2024

If you’ve spent time on Seoul’s subway recently, or indeed public transport in Korea in general, you may have noticed that paper books are back in fashion. Many of these books have a recognizable style of cover — warm, inviting colors and a Jimmy Corrigan-like traditional hanok or otherwise cosy-looking freestanding building on the cover. This is a result of the Korean healing fiction trend, which is slowly taking the nation by storm. Apart from those instantly recognizable covers, Korean healing fiction has several distinct traits. The novels are short and written in a highly readable style, which makes them ideal for commuters. Korean healing novels tell of people, burned out by the stresses of hypercompetitive life in the big city, who find new energy and personal growth through joining a community or learning a skill — running a bookshop, learning to cook or some other endeavor that allows for creative expression.