Seoul International Writers' Festival set for October with focus on identity

The 2026 Seoul International Writers' Festival is set to unfold from October 11 to 16, centered around the thought-provoking theme, "Who are we?" The festival, hosted at the Ara Art Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, aims to delve into the complexities of human identity in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence and non-human entities.

Organized by the Literature Translation Institute of Korea, the event will bring together a diverse group of 24 writers, 14 from South Korea and 10 international guests. They will collectively explore the value of humanity and the role of literature in contemporary society. The festival seeks to expand the everyday question of "who are you?" into a deeper inquiry about the nature of human and communal identity.

This year's festival boasts an impressive lineup of international literary figures. Opening the event will be a dialogue between acclaimed South Korean novelist Han Kang and Chilean author Benjamin Labatut, a finalist for the International Booker Prize. Other international participants include Booker Prize winner Damon Galgut from South Africa, Akutagawa Prize winner Hirano Keiichiro from Japan, poets Uliana Wolf from Germany and Emily Jungmin Yoon from Canada, and genre fiction writers John Langdon and Silvia Moreno-Garcia from the United States and Mexico/Canada, respectively, along with Taiwanese author Chen Xue.

In addition to these prominent international voices, the festival will feature a strong contingent of Korean authors, including novelists Kang Min-young, Kim Mella, Moon Ji-hyuk, Ahn Bo-yoon, Ye So-yeon, Lee Seung-woo, Lee Hee-ju, Jung Yong-jun, and Hwang Jung-eun, as well as poets Shin Yi-in and Choi Jae-won. A particular focus this year will be on graphic novelists and picture book authors, with Beatrice Alemagna from Italy discussing her work with Korean picture book author Kim Hyo-eun, and Taiwanese graphic novelist Zhou Jianxin, winner of the Prix Émile Guimet, in conversation with Korean author Park Geon-woong.

The festival will be accessible both online and offline, with all programs offered free of charge. Advance registration is available through the official website and Naver Reservations.