Han Kang wins the Nobel Prize for literature
 

South Korean author Han Kang won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature for "her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life", the award-giving body said on Thursday. 

The prize is awarded by the Swedish Academy and is worth 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million). 

"She has a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and in her poetic and experimental style has become an innovator in contemporary prose," Anders Olsson, chairman of the Academy's Nobel Committee, said in a statement.

Han Kang, opens new tab, the first South Korean and the 18th woman to win the literature prize, began her career in 1993 with the publication of a number of poems in the magazine Literature and Society, while her prose debut came in 1995 with the short story collection "Love of Yeosu".

In a telephone interview with the Academy after the prize was announced, she said her celebrations would be low-key. "After this phone call I'd like to have tea with - I don't drink so - I'm going to have tea with my son and I'll celebrate it quietly tonight."

Han said she had just finished dinner when she heard from the Academy. She said she was "so surprised and ... absolutely I'm honoured".

Born in 1970, opens new tab, she comes from a literary background, her father being a well-regarded novelist.

Han Kang won the Man Booker International Prize for fiction for her novel "The Vegetarian" in 2016, the first of her novels to be translated into English and regarded as her major international breakthrough.

Source :https://apnews.com/article/nobel-literature-prize-e52fdabe9379d351d744e121218bddc5

Comprehension

What did Han Kang win the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature for?
How much is the Nobel Prize in Literature worth?
What does the Swedish Academy's statement highlight about Han Kang's literary style?
When did Han Kang begin her writing career, and in what genre did she first publish?
What was her debut prose work, and when was it released?
How did Han Kang say she planned to celebrate her Nobel Prize win?
What is the significance of Han Kang's novel The Vegetarian in her career?
How is Han Kang’s family background connected to literature?

Discussion

Have you read Han's book?
Have you read any book that made you think deeply or changed how you see things?
Have you read any books by other Nobel Prize winners?
How do Han Kang's books about historical pain connect with readers around the world?
Do you feel more connected to a book if it talks about real history?
How might Han Kang's poetic and creative style affect modern writing?
What kind of writing style do you enjoy the most?
What important themes do you see in Han Kang’s books?
Are there any themes in books that are especially meaningful to you?
How does Han Kang’s work help share South Korean literature with the world? Have you read any books from countries other than your own?

Vocabulary

Prose – Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.
Fragility – The quality of being easily damaged or vulnerable.
Innovator – A person who introduces new methods, ideas, or products.
Poetic – Having an imaginative or sensitively emotional style of expression.
Experimental – Involving a new way of doing or thinking about something; innovative.
Traumas – Deeply distressing or disturbing experiences.
Breakthrough – An important development or achievement that leads to success.
Low-key – Quiet, modest, or restrained in behavior or style.