Translator Debra Smith (left), novelist Hanguk / Photo = Yonhap News,
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, ‘Debra Smith, a British translator who is considered one of the figures who introduced the works of novelist Hanguk, the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, to the world, shared Hanguk’s statement that she will not hold a press conference on her social media service (SNS).’,
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, ‘On the 13th, Smith shared an English article from the Korean English newspaper Korea Times on her X (former Twitter) without elaboration, quoting some sentences from the article. The sentences Smith mentioned were “People die every day in fierce wars, why would you hold a feast,” “Do not enjoy watching these tragic events,” and “Receiving the award at the Swedish Academy is not about enjoyment, but about becoming more cold-hearted.”‘,
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, ‘This refers to novelist Han Seung-won, Hanguk’s father, who conveyed his daughter Hanguk’s will not to hold a press conference on the 11th. When journalists visiting their home in Jangheung-gun, Jeollanam-do, asked, “Shouldn’t there be a celebration for the award?” Han Seung-won replied, “Kang stopped me from doing so,” stating, “Considering the large wars happening on both sides (Russia-Ukraine, Israel-Palestine), it seems like she has matured into a global intellectual.”‘,
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, “Smith started to be known as the translator of ‘The Vegetarian.’ She jointly won the prestigious British literary award, the Booker International Prize, in 2016, and is credited as the top contributor in spreading Hanguk’s works globally.”,
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, ‘She began learning Korean on her own and pursued a master’s and doctoral degree in Korean studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, where she first learned about and promoted the allure of ‘The Vegetarian.’ As a result, attention was also drawn to her after Hanguk won the Nobel Prize in Literature.’,
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, ‘Smith also shared a post made by Pyegye Morris, who co-translated Hanguk’s ‘Farewell for Now,’ on the 11th. Morris’ post shared by Smith contained the content “Thanks to the journalists who put translators at the forefront of the discussion on the Nobel Prize in Literature” and “When contacting translators, please show basic empathy and respect.”‘,
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, ‘Since Hanguk’s Nobel Prize in Literature win, Smith has remained silent and shown a quiet demeanor. However, Tilted Axis Press, a publishing house specializing in Asian and African literature co-founded by her, stated, “We congratulate Hanguk on her award,” and added, “We also want to send our praise to translators Debra Smith and Lee Yewon, who brought his works to the English-speaking world.”‘,
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, ‘In addition, they said, “This award is a major victory for translated literature and independent publishing,” and expressed gratitude for the kind words regarding the Nobel Prize.’,
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