South Korean author Han Kang has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. At 53 years old, she previously won the Man Booker International Prize for her novel The Vegetarian, published in 2007. The Nobel Prize committee recognized her for her powerful poetic language that addresses historical traumas and highlights the vulnerability of human existence. This year’s award, which includes a prize of 11 million kronor (£810,000), marks the 18th occasion a woman has received this honor since the prize’s inception in 1901.
Han Kang is the first South Korean recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature. The Nobel committee described her as someone who has “devoted herself to music and art.” Her literary work spans a wide array of genres, tackling themes such as violence, grief, and patriarchy. A pivotal moment in her career occurred in 2016 when she won the International Man Booker Prize for The Vegetarian, which was initially released in 2007 but was translated into English in 2015 by Deborah Smith. The novel explores the brutal repercussions faced by a woman who rejects societal expectations regarding food.
In addition to The Vegetarian, Han’s notable works include The White Book, Human Acts, and Greek Lessons. During the Nobel ceremony, Mats Malm, the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, noted that Han was “not really prepared” to win the prize. Committee chair Anders Olsen emphasized that her writing confronts historical traumas and societal rules, revealing the fragility of life. He commended her “poetic and experimental style,” referring to her as an innovator in modern prose and highlighting her profound understanding of the relationship between body and soul, as well as the living and the dead.