Mirinae Lee, author of the novel 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster, has become the first Korean to win the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing.
The William Saroyan Foundation announced on August 24 that it has selected Lee’s work in the fiction category for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing.
The author’s first novel, 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster, follows a young girl’s growth into adulthood as she goes through Japanese colonization, Korean independence, and the Korean War. The Saroyan Prize judges called the author’s take on the mystery genre during a turbulent time “a beautifully complex story of human frailty and strength,” adding, “The lyrical and evocative prose simultaneously demands a slow savoring of each page.”
Lee went to high school in South Korea and majored in English literature at a university in the U.S. She then lived in Hong Kong and took creative writing classes at a local graduate school. During this time, she practiced writing in both Korean and English. Lee wrote the novel in English and published it first in the U.K. and then in the United States. HarperCollins, one of the largest publishers in the country, was responsible for the publication. The Korean edition was published last month through a Korean publisher, Wisdom House.
The William Saroyan International Prize for Writing was established in 2003 in honor of American novelist and playwright William Saroyan. It is jointly organized by the William Saroyan Foundation and the Stanford University Library and is awarded every two years to emerging writers in both fiction and nonfiction categories.
BY KYEONGJUN KIM, HOONSIK WOO [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
