Sohn Won-pyung’s Counterattacks at Thirty Launched in the UK with Special Literary Talk

The acclaimed Korean novel Counterattacks at Thirty by Sohn Won-pyung took centre stage at a special literature event hosted by the Korean Cultural Centre UK on Wednesday, 26 March 2025.

Dr. Seunghye Sun, Director of the Korean Cultural Centre UK, had commented ahead of the event:
“Korean culture today is illuminated by the memories of dazzling pasts. Through literary works like this, we invite audiences to reconnect with the spirit and passion of those times—when dreams of a new future were forged through moments of both hope and despair. We hope to explore a new aesthetic future of Korea, right here and now, through literature.”

Originally published in 2017, Counterattacks at Thirty received the 5th Jeju 4.3 Peace Literary Award and resonated deeply with readers for its sharp, empathetic exploration of the challenges faced by a generation entering their thirties. Praised for its relatability and emotional depth, the novel gained international recognition and was awarded first place in the Translated Fiction category of Japan’s 2022 Honya Taisho (Booksellers’ Award).

To celebrate the novel’s official UK release on 27 March 2025, the Korean Cultural Centre UK hosted a literary talk featuring the novel’s translator Sean Lin Halbert alongside acclaimed translator and author Anton Hur, known for his work on Cursed Bunny, Love in the Big City, and his own novel Toward Eternity.

The conversation offered an in-depth look at the art of translation—unpacking the linguistic and cultural nuances of bringing Korean workplace life and generational themes to English-speaking readers.

The event fostered a warm and engaging conversation, leaving readers with lasting impressions of Counterattacks at Thirty and the power of Korean literature to speak across cultures.