Light and Thread
(Author) Han KangWhat is love?It is the gold thread connecting between our hearts. In this light-filled and multi-faceted book, her first since being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, Han Kang draws together the threads of her work and life, tracing the connections between her interior and exterior worlds through a sequence of essays, poems, photographs and diaries. A book of reflections, of words and light, it has at its heart the tiny, north-facing courtyard garden at her home, cultivated solely through the reflected sunlight of the mirrors which she must move throughout the day, as the earth turns on its axis.
In a poem written at eight years old, Han Kang imagined a ‘gold thread’ of connection – an idea which she explores here with luminous attention, beginning with her Nobel Lecture. She writes of the wonder of following the thread we call language into the depths of other hearts, and her profound sense of an electric current which joins writer and reader. Both intimate and illuminating, Light and Thread is a book for all readers of Han Kang’s unique body of work.
Han Kang
Han Kang (born November 27, 1970) is a celebrated South Korean author known for her evocative and thought-provoking novels. She grew up in Gwangju before moving to Seoul, where she studied Korean literature at Yonsei University. Han debuted as a writer in the 1990s and gained international recognition for her novel The Vegetarian, which won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize. Her works often explore themes of human suffering, identity, and the impact of historical trauma, as seen in Human Acts and other acclaimed novels. In addition to her literary achievements, Han is also a poet and teacher, sharing her craft with aspiring writers. Her works have been translated into multiple languages, resonating with readers around the globe.