Explore Light and Thread, first publication by Han Kang since her Nobel win, featuring intimate reflections and previously unpublished works.
Han Kang, the acclaimed South Korean author and Nobel Laureate, has released her latest work, Light and Thread. This publication marks her first since receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in October 2024. The book is garnering significant attention, selling approximately 10,000 copies online within the first 24 hours of its release. It showcases the profound impact of her literary contributions.
Han Kang’s literary journey has been marked by profound explorations of human emotion and historical trauma. Her previous works, such as The Vegetarian and Human Acts, have delved into themes of identity, suffering, and resilience. The Nobel Committee recognized her “intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.” She became the first South Korean and first Asian woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Light and Thread
Light and Thread is a 172-page collection that encompasses a variety of literary forms. It includes her Nobel lecture, banquet speech, personal message, some poems, and essays. There are twelve literary masterpices in this book.
Pieces from the Nobel ceremony
Three of the pieces in the collection are related to the Nobel Prize ceremony.
- The full text of her Nobel lecture at the Swedish Academy
- Her banquet speech titled “In the Darkest Night” delivered December 10
- A short message she wrote when donating a teacup to the Nobel Museum, titled “Small Teacup.”
Poems
The latest collection includes five poems that originally appeared in “Literature and Society” and “Littor” between 2013 and 2024, following the publication of her first and only poetry collection, “I Put the Evening in the Drawer” (2013, Moonji Publishing).
The five poems are:
- “The Coat and I”
- “North-Facing Room”
- “Meditation on Pain”
- “Sound(s)”
- “Very Small Snowflake”
Essays
Three previously unpublished essays are also in the Light and Thread.
- “North-Facing Garden”
- “Garden Diary”
- “After Living On”
Central to the collection is the metaphor of the “golden thread,” representing language as a connective force between human hearts. This concept originated from a childhood poem Han rediscovered, where she wrote:
Where is love? It is inside my thump-thumping beating chest. What is love? It is the gold thread connecting between our hearts.
– Han Kang
The essays and poems further explore themes of memory, connection, and the human experience, often drawing from personal reflections and everyday observations.
People Love It!
The book’s immediate success is evident. Approximately 10,000 copies were sold online within the first 24 hours through major Korean retailers like Kyobo Book Centre, Yes24, and Aladin. Notably, a significant portion of the readership comprises women, particularly those in their 30s and 40s.
English Translation?
An English translation of Light and Thread is forthcoming, with a release date set for September 9, 2025. The translated edition will be published by Hogarth and will include Han’s Nobel Lecture. It will offer international readers insight into her reflections on writing and the themes she explores.
Wrapping up
Han Kang’s “Light and Thread” is a literary masterpiece that skillfully blends personal stories, poetic imagery, and deep thoughts. It’s not just a collection of stories; it’s a journey into her creative mind and invites us to think about the connections that bind us all. With the English translation coming soon, “Light and Thread” is sure to captivate readers worldwide and solidify Han Kang’s status as a leading figure in modern literature.
Additionally, Han Kang is also finishing the final instalment to her long-awaited trilogy, “Winter Trilogy.” You can expect to grab your copy later this year.
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