Gu Byeong-mo

Gu Byeong-mo
Gu Byeong-mo at the Guadalajara International Book Fair
Born
Jeong Yu-gyeong

1976 (age 49–50)
OccupationWriter
Writing career
GenreFiction
Korean name
Hangul
정유경
RRJeong Yugyeong
MRChŏng Yugyŏng
Pen name
Hangul
구병모
RRGu Byeongmo
MRKu Pyŏngmo

Gu Byeong-mo (Korean: 구병모; born 1976) is a South Korean writer. She made her literary debut in 2009 when her novel Wizard Bakery (위저드 베이커리 Wizard Bakery) won the 2nd Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction. Her 2015 short story collection Geugeosi namaneun anigireul (그것이 나만은 아니기를 I Hope It's Not Just Me) received the Today's Writer Award and Hwang Sun-won New Writers' Award. She penned the novels Pigeumallion aideul (피그말리온 아이들 The Pygmalion Children), Agami (아가미 Gills), and Bangjuro oseyo (방주로 오세요 Come to Bangju) as well as the short story collection Gouineun anijiman (고의는 아니지만 I Didn't Mean to But). Gu's debut novel Wijeodeu Beikeori was translated into Spanish by Minjeong Jeong and Irma Zyanja Gil Yáñez. They received the 24th Daesan Literary Award in 2016 for their translation.

Life

Gu Byeong-mo was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1976. Gu studied Korean literature at Kyung Hee University.

Writing

Many of Gu Byeong-mo's works are genre fiction. Her debut novel Wijeodeu beikeori (위저드 베이커리 Wizard Bakery) mixes mystery, horror, and fantasy. It is the first young adult novel in South Korea to employ magic as a major plot device, breaking the convention of the genre to deal with only realistic settings. The judges of the Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction chose Wijeodeu as the winner because it is a fantastical allegory that deviates from the standard coming-of-age story set in schools.

Gu's later works are also allegories that use unusual motifs to reveal a dark side of reality. “Hwagapsonyeojeon” (화갑소녀전 Tale of the Match Girl) is a short story based on “The Little Match Girl” by Hans Christian Andersen. But instead of seeing wonderful visions in the glow of her matches, the protagonist only sees scenes of horror and tragedy. The story urges readers to question commonly accepted truths or lessons and to view the world in a new light.

Works

co-authorship

Works in Translation (partial)

Source:

Adaptation

In 2025, her novel The Old Woman with the Knife was adapted into a feature film The Old Woman with the Knife (파과) directed by Min Kyu-dong. The film will premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2025 as part of Berlinale Special programme.

Awards

References

  1. ↑ "구병모 | 창비 – Changbi Publishers". www.changbi.com (in Korean (South Korea)). Archived from the original on 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  2. ↑ "『위저드 베이커리』 스페인어 번역 제24회 대산문학상 번역 부문 수상 | 창비 – Changbi Publishers". www.changbi.com (in Korean (South Korea)). Archived from the original on 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  3. ↑ "빨간구두당 | 창비 – Changbi Publishers". www.changbi.com (in Korean (South Korea)). Archived from the original on 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  4. ↑ "위저드 베이커리 | 창비 – Changbi Publishers". www.changbi.com (in Korean (South Korea)). Archived from the original on 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  5. ↑ "빨간구두당 | 창비 – Changbi Publishers". www.changbi.com (in Korean (South Korea)). Archived from the original on 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  6. ↑ "구병모 | Digital Library of Korean Literature (LTI Korea)". library.klti.or.kr. Archived from the original on 2017-12-10. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
  7. ↑ "The Old Woman with the Knife — an invisible killer". Financial Times. April 2022.
  8. ↑ Rojas, Carlos (8 March 2022). "Speaking in Tongues: Novels in Translation from Around the World". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ Economou, Vassilis (16 January 2025). "Berlinale Special expands its selection with diverse new additions". Cineuropa. Retrieved 21 January 2025.