A life in context
The person behind the prize
Han Kang was born in Gwangju and moved to Seoul as a child. She began publishing poetry in 1993 and a first collection of stories followed in 1995. Her writing draws on interests in art and music while examining the body, vulnerability and the lasting effects of violence.
The contribution
In books including The Vegetarian, Human Acts and The White Book, she uses concentrated, poetic prose to connect intimate lives with collective trauma. Shifting perspectives make readers attend to people whom history can reduce to anonymous victims.
The idea in plain language
A historical account may list dates and casualties while leaving out what violence feels like to the people who survive it. Han Kang’s writing brings bodies, memory and individual voices into that space.
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