Dialogue with Korean writer Hwang Sun-mi

The exchange session was attended by representatives of the Korean Literature Translation Institute, Nha Nam Publishing House, Faculty of Oriental Studies and a number of Vietnamese translators such as translator Le Dang Hoan (Vietnam Literature Association), translator Nguyen Thi Thu Van (University of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi).

Writer Hwang Sun-mi was born in 1963 in Hongseong (South Korea). She studied creative writing at Seoul University of the Arts. She debuted as a writer in 1995 and has published more than 30 books in various genres. Hwang Sun-mi's works deal with a wide range of themes such as the collision and compromise between tradition and modernity, the issue of coexistence and the pursuit of freedom... All are interwoven and interspersed with traditional motifs. She is best known as a fantasy writer, with a critical thinking about modern civilization.

Writer Hwang Sun-mi at the exchange session

Some famous works of writer Hwang Sun-mi have been translated into Vietnamese such as: "The escaped hen", "The naughty child", "The long-haired blue dog", "Friends in the valley of the sun", "Mountaintop whale"...

In 2011, the two books “Phieu Be Naughty” and “The Runaway Hen” set a record in Korea when they sold more than 1 million copies. “The Runaway Hen” was also adapted into an animated film script and became the most viewed work in the history of Korean animation. The work has also been adapted many times on stage. Through the works of writer Hwang Sun-mi, not only children but also adults can feel the faith and love for life and the people around them. That is also the reason why writer Hwang Sun-mi’s works are loved by the public and she has also received many literary awards at home and abroad.

Sharing her feelings during the exchange, writer Hwang Sun-mi said she was very surprised and happy to receive a warm welcome from students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and that they spoke Korean very well. That is why, although this was her first time coming to Vietnam, she felt familiar and comfortable. She also felt happy to see her works translated into Vietnamese and reaching a large number of Vietnamese readers, including many young readers. And this exchange and the feelings of the students here will be valuable memories and experiences in her life.

At this talk, writer Hwang Sun-mi shared her views on the meaning of a literary work for children, how to build content and ideas for the works, and her concerns and thoughts in the thinking process, choosing life materials to put into the works.

The writer believes that literature easily enters the human heart and soul and comes from the most basic and deepest things in the human heart. She writes works for children based on the observations and experiences of loved ones around her, such as children, parents and family. The main characters in her stories are animals but reflect the personalities, fates and desires of people themselves. Adults can see their own lives and struggles in everyday life through those characters. Her works try to convey the values ​​and lessons of life through the experiences of an adult but express them through characters, details, and settings that are vivid, attractive and easy for children to understand. Therefore, children can learn a lot from those lessons. And adults can also understand when reading the stories and want to accompany their children, helping them on their journey to discover the values ​​of life. Books for children but contain life values ​​for generations.

Writer Hwang Sun-mi shared that she also encountered many difficulties in the writing process, sometimes due to the pressure of deadlines and the pressure of readers' expectations. She has a habit of keeping all the drafts and edits of her works. To collect details, she also has a habit of writing down everything that happens and what makes her feel during the day. She also shared that she loves writing and always feels happy when living this job every day.