SEOUL — A novel by South Korean author Han Kang has been shortlisted for two of France's top literary awards, according to an announcement from the book's Korean publisher.
According to a new release by Yonhap News Agency, the novel "I Do Not Bid Farewell" was shortlisted for the Prix Femina for foreign literature on Tuesday and for the Prix Medicis for foreign literature on October 18.
The Prix Femina and the Prix Medicis are among France's four major literary awards, along with the Prix Goncourt and the Prix Renaudot. The Prix Femina for foreign literature was established in 1985 to honor the year's best foreign-language literary work translated into French. Previously, Korean writers Lee Seung-woo and Hwang Sok-yong have been nominated for this award.
The Prix Medicis for foreign literature, established in 1970, recognizes experimental works. This is Han Kang's second nomination for this particular award; she was first nominated in 2017 for her novel "Greek Lessons."
The winners of the Prix Femina and Prix Medicis will be announced on November 6 and November 9, respectively.
"I Do Not Bid Farewell" was released by Han Kang in 2021, five years after she won the International Booker Prize in 2016. The novel delves into the tragedy of a 1948 civilian massacre on South Korea's Jeju Island, narrated from the perspectives of three women. At the time, the government distorted the uprising of Jeju islanders against U.S. military-led rule as a communist riot, resulting in the massacre of an estimated 14,000-30,000 civilians, up to 10 percent of the island's population.
The French edition of the novel was published by Grasset in September under the title "Impossibles adieux."