Korean Literary Voices Take the Stage at Hay Festival: KCCUK and KPIPA Support International Booker Prize Event

On Saturday, 24 May 2025, the Korean Cultural Centre UK (KCCUK) and the Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea (KPIPA) proudly supported a special event at the world-renowned Hay Festival in Hay-on-Wye: a public conversation with the winners of the 2025 International Booker Prize.

This year holds particular significance as Korean author and translator Anton Hur was appointed to the judging panel for the 2025 International Booker Prize—a major milestone for Korean literary professionals on the global stage. The prestigious award is given annually to a single work of fiction translated into English, with equal prize money awarded to both the author and translator, celebrating the collaborative nature of global literature.

The featured event brought Anton Hur into conversation with 2025 prize winners Banu Mushtaq, author of Heart Lamp, and Deepa Bhasthi, who translated the novel into English. Joined by journalist, literary critic, and director of the Booker Prize Foundation, Gaby Wood, the panel explored the cultural significance of Heart Lamp, the power of literary translation, and the evolving role of global literature in shaping contemporary thought.

In recognizing Anton Hur’s appointment as a judge and supporting this major literary event, KCCUK and KPIPA reaffirmed their commitment to promoting Korean literature and highlighting the contributions of Korean and Korean diaspora writers and translators to international literary discourse.

Dr. Seunghye Sun, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre UK, shared her thoughts on the occasion:

“Korean literature today is expanding new horizons—not only in authorship but in curation, judging, and criticism. This year, Anton Hur’s role as a judge at the International Booker Prize and his conversation with both the winning author and translator is a powerful symbol of literary solidarity. Korean aesthetics are reaching wider global audiences through such moments of connection, and Korea’s publishing industry continues to contribute to the future of world literature in meaningful and lasting ways.”

KCCUK and KPIPA will continue their close partnership to support the global promotion of Korean literature and foster cultural exchange through translation, international collaboration, and the amplification of Korean literary voices on the world stage.