Judges praise novel’s portrayal of family’s search for their missing mother


South Korean author Shin Kyung-sook won the most prestigious literary prize in Asia on Thursday for her novel “Please Look After Mom.”

The Man Asian Literary Prize was established in 2007 to honor the previous year’s best novels published in English by Asian writers. The 2011 prize was presented to Shin at the Conrad Hotel in Hong Kong. She is the first Korean and first woman to win the prize.

The novel follows the painful journey of a family searching for their mother, who has disappeared. On the way, they rediscover the value of each other, but uncover feelings of guilt on the way.

“What consoled me and made me strong when I was suffering and or in grief were the many stories of the world’s literary works. I hope the stories in my works also exist for those who are experiencing uncontrollable sadness,” said Shin in her acceptance speech.

Shin is one of the most widely read writers in Korea. She has been honored with numerous awards including the Manhae Literature Prize, the Dong-in Literature Prize, and the Yi Sang Literary Prize, as well as France’s Prix de l’Inaperu. 

About 2 million copies of the Korean version of “Please Look After Mom” were sold here after it was published in 2008. Last year, it was translated into English and released in the U.S. It was the writer’s first book to appear in English. It is now set to be published in 32 other countries.

Chair of judges Razia Iqbal praised the novel as a “beautiful, poignantly-told tale.”

“‘Please Look After Mom’ is an incredibly moving portrait of what it means to be a mother, but also of the tradition and modernity of the family in South Korea. The novel is a sensitive exploration of the inner life of the family with a very dynamic narrative structure. The story is surprising in its complexity yet has a beating heart at the center of it,” said Iqbal.

The judging panel also included Lee Chang-rae, author of “The Surrendered” and Pulitzer Prize finalist; and Vikas Swarup, author of “Q&A,” which was later turned into the award-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Seven books made the shortlist, an expanded number compared to previous years which judges said was because of the strength of Asian literature. A total of 90 books were submitted for the Prize in 2011.

“The win proved that the book’s theme can be universally understood all over the world. I hope her win gives confidence to many writers, publishers and readers in Korea and changes their mindset about Korean literature,” said Park Shin-kyu, head of the literary team at Changbi, publisher of the Korean version of “Please Look After Mom.”

At the award ceremony, Shin added her thoughts on the issue of North Korean defectors in China. She said it was not a political issue but about how we treat human beings.

“Right at this moment, North Korean defectors who escaped to China for their lives are sent back to North Korea. Sending them back means cornering them to death. I wish for the Chinese government’s humane considerations and for the international society to show more interest in the situation,” she said.

Shin received prize money of $30,000 while English translator Kim Chi-young received $5,000.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)