June 5 Literature New Books

South Korean readers are introduced to a diverse range of new literary works this June, spanning novels, essay collections, and short story anthologies.

Kim Sum's new novel, "Strawberry Theory," marks her 30th anniversary since her debut. The story centers on Shapae, a woman from Myanmar, who finds herself working on a strawberry farm in Korea, a country thousands of kilometers from her homeland. She encounters Bopa, a Cambodian migrant also facing precarious status as an undocumented resident. Through Shapae's monologues, the novel delicately unfolds the hidden aspects of migrant labor within capitalism and explores the meaning of life.

Literary critic Lee Gwang-ho presents his fifth essay collection, "What If." Adhering to his definition of essays as "writing that contemplates the act of writing," and "an essayist is not someone who knows the conclusion, but someone who discovers the next sentence while writing," Lee has organized 26 pieces into seven parts. These include sections titled 'Family: The Origin of the Disease Called Parents' and 'Mourning: My Cat's Funeral.'

Joo Young-ha, winner of the 2022 Changbi New Writer Award, releases her first short story collection, "Oysters and Sand." The collection features a story where oysters, disappearing from Northern Europe, threaten an elderly couple who have run a successful oyster restaurant for 20 years. The narrative depicts a human self-portrait amidst a disaster of oyster mortality due to sandstorms, exploring themes of despair and catastrophe, yet ultimately focusing on 'existence.'