‘Participation Fever’ Mokpo Literature Award, Expanding Beyond Korea to Overseas

1,136 Participants Including Writers and Overseas Koreans from 6 Countries Submit 3,728 Entries

Mokpo Literature Award Steering Committee Meeting. Photo by Mokpo City Provided

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] The 2021 Mokpo Literature Expo ‘Mokpo Literature Award Contest’ is emerging as a representative domestic literary award with enthusiastic participation from both domestic and international contestants.

On the 10th, Mokpo City announced that this contest was held in four categories: novel, poetry (sijo), play, and literary criticism. The submission deadline was last month on the 30th, with a total of 1,136 participants from across the country and six overseas countries (USA, Japan, Germany, Canada, Australia, Cambodia), submitting 3,728 entries.

This figure is about three times higher compared to last year’s 315 participants and 1,167 entries. The number of participants in poetry (sijo) increased significantly from 144 last year to 648, and in plays from 10 to 91, while 371 entries were submitted in the novel category.

A representative from Munhakgwa Jiseongsa Co., Ltd., which handles novel publishing, stated, “Based on typical novel contests, we expected around 150 entries, but with so many more submissions, both the publisher and judges feel a greater sense of responsibility.”

The high enthusiasm for this year’s Mokpo Literature Award is believed to be influenced by active promotion and the linkage with the Mokpo Literature Expo held in October, as well as the total prize money being expanded to 130 million KRW.

The prize money for the Mokpo Literature Award contest, a flagship program of the Mokpo Literature Expo, is 100 million KRW for the novel category, the largest single-category prize in domestic literary awards, and 10 million KRW each for poetry (sijo), plays, and literary criticism.

The Mokpo Literature Award Steering Committee discussed the selection of judges and the judging process at a meeting on the 5th. Moving forward, they plan to appoint reputable and trustworthy judges and finalize the winning works through a strict process including preliminary and final rounds. The judging of novels will be jointly conducted by Munhakgwa Jiseongsa Co., Ltd., which publishes the winning works under a business agreement, and the Mokpo Literature Award Steering Committee.

The winners will be announced on September 1 on the Mokpo Literature Expo website, and an awards ceremony is scheduled during the expo on October 9.

Kim Jongsik, Mayor of Mokpo, said, “The strong domestic and international interest in this year’s Mokpo Literature Award contest, including the 100 million KRW prize for novels, demonstrates the growth potential, prospects, and brand value of the Mokpo Literature Award. We hope that the Mokpo Literature Award will contribute to Korean literature, including becoming a stepping stone for the country’s first Nobel Literature Prize winner.”

Meanwhile, the Mokpo Literature Expo, the nation’s first expo themed on literature, will be held from October 7 to 10 across Mokpo Literature Hall, Mokwondong area, Peace Plaza, and throughout Mokpo under the slogan “Mokpo, from the Beginning of Modern Korean Literature to the Cradle of Future Literature.”

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