On writing something set in ancient Korea
Sep. 12th, 2016 06:47 pmPro:
- fascinating, gorgeous setting(s), not well-known to English language readers
- used to write loads of stuff in historical, er, settings
Con:
- appropriation / colonialism??? Would be suspicious about same setting used by other white, Anglophone author
- living culture (unlike eg ancient Mesopotamia)
OTOH
- tons of fiction using setting being successfully produced in South Korea, so no (?) competition group who can't get their stories told
- not appropriative of the experiences of immigrants
Relevant: responses to Lionel Shriver's keynote speech at the Brisbane Writers' Festival by Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Yen-Rong, plus Nesrine Malik's response to Abdel-Magied. Many people's POV in Stephanie Convery's column, eg: "Omar Musa, the Malaysian-Australian poet... says white writers should read, support and promote the work of writers of colour before attempting to encroach on that space themselves."
Also: I'm a seduced by sageuk, but I don't want to just pastiche and the stock characters and situations of Kdrama...?
Homework: are Diaspora Koreans writing in these settings? Read their stuff! Plus Korean stuff in translation.
Resources:
South Korea, by the Book (WSJ - non-fiction)
4 Must-read Korean Novels [available in English] (Korea-Canada Blog - modern settings)
Historical Novels of Asia list
(Historical Novels.info)
K-Lit in the age of Korean Cool
Books Set in Asia > Korea, North and South (goodreads.com)
Asian Science Fiction & Fantasy: The Essential Reading List (2016)
SF in South Korea (gordsellar.com)
Korea Literature Now feature on SF writer Bok Goe-Il
Korean Literature in Translation
- fascinating, gorgeous setting(s), not well-known to English language readers
- used to write loads of stuff in historical, er, settings
Con:
- appropriation / colonialism??? Would be suspicious about same setting used by other white, Anglophone author
- living culture (unlike eg ancient Mesopotamia)
OTOH
- tons of fiction using setting being successfully produced in South Korea, so no (?) competition group who can't get their stories told
- not appropriative of the experiences of immigrants
Relevant: responses to Lionel Shriver's keynote speech at the Brisbane Writers' Festival by Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Yen-Rong, plus Nesrine Malik's response to Abdel-Magied. Many people's POV in Stephanie Convery's column, eg: "Omar Musa, the Malaysian-Australian poet... says white writers should read, support and promote the work of writers of colour before attempting to encroach on that space themselves."
Also: I'm a seduced by sageuk, but I don't want to just pastiche and the stock characters and situations of Kdrama...?
Homework: are Diaspora Koreans writing in these settings? Read their stuff! Plus Korean stuff in translation.
Resources:
South Korea, by the Book (WSJ - non-fiction)
4 Must-read Korean Novels [available in English] (Korea-Canada Blog - modern settings)
Historical Novels of Asia list
(Historical Novels.info)
K-Lit in the age of Korean Cool
Books Set in Asia > Korea, North and South (goodreads.com)
Asian Science Fiction & Fantasy: The Essential Reading List (2016)
SF in South Korea (gordsellar.com)
Korea Literature Now feature on SF writer Bok Goe-Il
Korean Literature in Translation