Exploring the Aesthetics of Entanglement and the Ethics of Gongginoori

Seoul International Book Fair Held Online and Offline from 16th to 25th
About 40 Lectures and Discussions... 200 Participants Including Authors

The Seoul International Book Fair, the largest book festival in Korea, will be held both online and offline from the 16th to the 25th. The events will take place on the official book fair website, bookstores, and cultural spaces throughout Seoul. The focus is on expanding individual experiences through books.

The theme is "XYZ: Entanglement." It explores the "aesthetics of entanglement" and the "ethics of coexistence" amid ecological crises, fears of infectious diseases, and social conflicts and confrontations. The leading figure is author Kim Cho-yeop, who discusses how to incorporate "entanglement" into works under the theme of "science fiction (SF) as a genre that captures entanglement."

In addition, about forty lectures and discussions on various topics will be held. These include "Reasonable Bookstores," which spotlight domestic and international bookstores; genre-themed talks on "mystery, thriller, suspense, and horror"; a "youth program" for aspiring young writers; a "cultural space program" that points to the expansion of books; and lectures by invited foreign authors. These will be broadcast live via the book fair website, Naver TV, and YouTube.

More than 200 participants, including authors, scientists, and artists, will take part in the lectures and discussions. Books related to "entanglement" recommended by them, as well as publications from 198 publishers, will be showcased both online and offline. An official stated, "We will categorize keywords such as 'solidarity,' 'coexistence,' 'intertwining,' 'symbiosis,' and 'connection' to exhibit 280 titles online and 800 titles offline."

There are also special books available only at the book fair. These include a limited edition titled "Chaos Illustrations," published by eleven millennial authors such as Kang Hwa-gil, Kim Se-hee, Kim Cho-yeop, and Moon Bo-young. Existing books like author Jung Yoo-jung’s "28," Kim Ri-yeon’s "Glad to Be a Nurse," and Jang Kang-myung’s "The Last Day of the Month, or How You Remember the World" will be reissued with new covers.

The book fair will also feature events highlighting Russia, the guest of honor country. An official said, "We plan to introduce the current status and prospects of the local publishing market and present contemporary literature and authors not yet introduced in Korea." All online programs are free to enjoy on the book fair website. On-site events will operate on a reservation basis to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.