Human Acts
Winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature
(Author) Han KangA riveting, poetic and powerful work from the author of the International Booker Prize-winning novel The Vegetarian. 'Exquisite, painful and deeply courageous' Philippe Sands, Best Books of the Year, Guardian Gwangju, South Korea, 1980. Amid a violent student uprising a young boy named Dong-ho is killed.
As his friend searches for Dong-ho's corpse, we also meet an editor struggling against censorship, a prisoner and a factory worker, each suffering from traumatic memories, and Dong-ho's grief-stricken mother. Through their collective heartbreak and acts of hope comes a tale of a brutalised people in search of a voice. A modern classic, Human Acts has been both a controversial bestseller and an award-winning book in Korea, and it confirmed Han Kang as a writer of international importance.
'[Han Kang's] way of telling about the events of a 10-day insurgency in Gwangju, South Korea in 1980 and its psychological, spiritual and political aftermath opened my eyes' Susie Orbach, Best Books of the Year, Guardian
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.
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