Kim Young-Ha

Born in 1968 in Hwacheon. He moved from place to place as a child, since his father was in the military. As a child, he suffered from gas poisoning from coal gas and lost memory before ten.
Kim Young-ha burst onto the Korean literary scene seemingly out of nowhere with his first novel I have the right to destroy myself (1995). Kim Young-ha is a aster storyteller since his 1st publication in 1995 he has won Korea's top literary awards and has become one of the country's best-known contemporaty novelist.

Now in 2010, Kim is established as one of the country's finest litery talents, having won several Korean Literary awards, Kim's books are now making the journey overseas with translation being released in the USA, France, Fermany among other countries.

Kim says that as a child, such was his love of stories that he would introduce himself as "a person who likes words and telling stories"

"I used to tell storieds to my friends during school bus rides, and the response was immense", says Kim. Despite his ability when the time came to go to University he choose Business over Literature and hewas denounced as a "monster" by soome jealous compeer. He didn't mind as he said "Literary work is independent and has a life of its own. If it's good, people will read it and tell others. That's the true power of the Novel."




Kim says he became a novelist just to remain a free spirit, he takes a huge pride in the field of writing, for a while people wondered wheter literature would survive the digital age, but literature is a very digital-friendly medium.

Kim's most recent collection of short  stories, completed while he was working on other novels, will be released this summer.



Follow Kim Young Ha on Twitter http://twitter.com/timemuseum


or Add him on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kim-Young-ha/105500286151182

A List of some publications

• 퀴즈쇼, ["Quiz Show"] 2007
• 빛의 제국 ["Empire of Light" a.k.a. "Your Republic Is Calling You"] 2006, winner in 2007 of the Manhae Literary Award
• 검은 꽃 ["Black Flower]] 2003, winner in 2004 of the Dongin Literary Award
• 오빠가 돌아왔다 ["Brother has returned"], (collection of short stories) winner in 2004 of the Isan Literary Award.
• Photo Shop Murder (English translation 2003)
• I Have the Right to Destroy Myself (1996; English translation 2007)
• Your Republic Is Calling You(2006: English translation 2010   

Thanks to Wikipedia, Kim Young-ha's Facebook page and Korea.net




-Gisela V.