Across Generations and Memory: KCCUK Hosts Jiyoung Han in Conversation on Honey in the Wound

The Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) will host an author talk with Jiyoung Han, in conversation with writer and academic SJ Kim, on her debut novel, Honey in the Wound.

Spanning ninety years and multiple geographies, Honey in the Wound follows a Korean family whose lives are shaped by displacement and historical upheaval. Blending lyrical prose with elements of magical realism, the novel traces how memory, trauma, and resilience are carried across generations.

At the centre of the narrative is Young-ja, a young woman struggling to survive in the aftermath of personal and historical loss. Gifted with the ability to infuse her cooking with emotion, her power evolves as she becomes entangled in networks of resistance, navigating a world marked by violence, secrecy and survival.

Through its intergenerational scope, the novel explores how personal histories intersect with broader historical forces, and how storytelling can serve as a means of reclaiming voice and agency. Drawing on both intimate and collective experiences, Honey in the Wound situates individual lives within a wider historical and emotional landscape.

During the event, Han and Kim will discuss the novel’s development, its thematic concerns, and the ways in which literature can engage with questions of memory, history, and identity. The conversation will also consider how narratives rooted in specific cultural and historical contexts can resonate with contemporary readers across different backgrounds.

The event offers an opportunity to hear directly from the author and to engage more closely with the novel through discussion and reflection.

For more details, please visit https://kccuk.org.uk