Between Popular and Canonical Texts

In this seminar, Grace Koh will discuss what curating or selecting texts for reading lists can entail based on her experience of designing and teaching different Korean literature classes to different groups of students at SOAS over the past 20 years. She will highlight how the process tends to involve questions about literary canon, the significance of Korean literature or what makes it unique, and why people read it, with consideration to different audiences, changing cultures and trends in Korea and abroad. She will also draw references to the current KCCUK exhibition on Korean literature, Bestselling and Beloved: Korean Literary Treasures, to discuss curation as a narrative of Korean literary history.

We warmly invite you to join us in honouring the depth and vibrancy of Korean literature in the UK. This exclusive gathering serves as an ideal occasion to connect with the literary and cultural communities while appreciating the enduring impact of cross-cultural dialogue. We look forward to welcoming you to this inspiring event.

Speaker Bio:

Grace Koh is Lecturer in Korean Literature in the School of Languages, Cultures and Linguistics at SOAS University of London. At SOAS she has taught modules on Korean and East Asian literature, cinema, translation, and literary theory, and has supervised MA and PhD students working on Korean and comparative literature and literary translation since 2002. She is currently working on an edited volume on cross-cultural encounters and narratives in Korean and western travel literature from the 18th to 20th centuries. In addition to her academic work, she served as a Steering Committee member for the London Book Fair 2014 Korea Market Focus programme and has collaborated with Korean and British organisations and institutions to help organise, participate and interpret at events to promote Korean literature and culture in the UK.