Irish Ambassador to Korea Michelle Winthrop (right) and novelist-critic Ronan Hession pose for a photo during an interview with The Korea Herald at the Seoul Metropolitan Library in Jung-gu, Seoul, in October. (Hwang Dong-hee/The Korea Herald)

The Ireland Literature Festival in Korea provided a platform to explore the rich tapestry of the Irish and Korean literary landscapes.

During a recent interview with The Korea Herald, Michelle Winthrop, Irish ambassador to Korea, and novelist and literary critic Ronan Hession emphasized the critical role of translation in bridging cultural divides and enriching global literature.

Ambassador Winthrop, an avid reader herself, talked about how this year’s festival was inspired by the legacy of Kevin O'Rourke (1939-2020), an Irish Catholic priest, scholar and translator.

“Father Kevin O'Rourke came to Korea almost exactly 60 years ago at the beginning of October so that felt like a significant milestone,” said Winthrop. “He quickly fell in love with the Korean language and his mission became about literature.”

Kevin O'Rourke was a professor of literature at Kyung Hee University from 1977 to 2005. (Kyung Hee University)

O'Rourke, who became the first foreigner to earn a Ph.D. in Korean literature from Yonsei University, dedicated his life to translating more than 2,000 Korean literary works into English. He translated multiple Korean poems, novels and other literary works, including Choi In-hun's "The Square" and Lee Mun-yol's "Our Twisted Hero.” He received many awards and was honored for his contributions to Korean literature, receiving honorary Seoul citizenship in 2007.

“We're very proud of our Kevin and everything he's done. The Irish Embassy had a memorial event for him (on Oct. 17) and there will be a translation prize in his name next month,” said the ambassador.

Both Winthrop and Hession offered their congratulations to Han Kang, who recently won the Nobel Prize in literature.

Hession, who frequently reviews translated fiction for The Irish Times, stressed the importance of reading beyond one’s native tongue.

“About 95 percent of the world's population is from countries where English is not the first language. And yet 90 percent of book sales in Ireland and the UK is Anglophone. It is a huge distortion.”

The value of literature from other cultures lies not only in the diversity of storytelling, but also in the universal human experiences it conveys, according to Hession.

“If you only ever hear the stories about life and the world through the conventions of your own literature and your own language, then they become overly familiar. In order to break open some of the great truths of life, you need different cultural approaches,” he said. “A lot of Western literature is very much based around conflict and resolution. And Korean literature has a much more subtle approach to structure and stories.”

Hession also said, "It's overdue for the Nobel Prize to recognize translators. The prize wouldn't be possible without translation, and translators have a body of work that deserves recognition.”

“I think it would be a good gesture for the Nobel Committee to find a way to honor either individual translators for their body of work or translators as a group, perhaps through an organization. World literature simply wouldn't exist without translators."

Visitors attend a book talk at the Seoul Metropolitan Library, Oct. 26, held as part of the Ireland Literature Festival Korea 2024. From left are Irish writers Anne Griffin, Sinead Gleeson, Ronan Hession and Michelle Winthrop, Irish Ambassador to Korea. (Seoul Metropolitan Library)

Both Winthrop and Hession underscored the enduring power of books, even in an age dominated by digital technology.

“They thought books would go when radios came along, then cinema, then TV, then the internet. But we still sell books,” said Hession.

“Societies may lose their way with literature at times, but that doesn’t mean they can’t find their way back,” Winthrop said.

Hession explained that reading books is also quite “democratic” -- while a Picasso, the best food, or a top music performance can be expensive, the best literature costs the same as the worst. Or with a good library, it is free.