Novelist Mun Misun: "Caregiving Issues, Even If Heavy, Should Make Novels Enjoyable"

Novelist Mun Misun's 'The Way We Passed Through Winter'
2023 World Literature Award for Family Caregiving Story

“When caregiving is left solely to the family, it can lead to the collapse of the household, and I felt that our society is turning a blind eye to this issue, which is why I decided to address it in my work.”

These are the words of writer Moon Misun, who won this year’s 19th World Literature Award for her novel How We Survived the Winter (Namuyeopui Uija). Among 185 entries submitted this year, this work was overwhelmingly chosen as the winner. It tells a harsh yet warm story of two protagonists who bear the heavy burden of caregiving and nursing alone, and despite being pushed to the edge, they do not give up on life and seek a light of hope.

Writer Moon Misoon [Photo by Namu Yeopui Ja]

The judging panel stated, “This work depicts the tragedy of two neighbors who cannot even take care of their own lives because they are caring for their sick parents. It is both a modern continuation of naturalist novels and a hopeful counterattack against a pessimistic world.”

The novel originated from the author’s experience of hospital caregiving after her husband suffered a stroke in 2020. At a press conference held on the 9th at a restaurant in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Moon said, “Caregiving costs 100,000 won per day, which amounts to 3 million won per month. Ordinary families cannot afford this. Usually, caregiving is left to the family. I have even seen an 80-year-old mother caring for her 60-year-old son. It is time for public healthcare support.”

Although the work carries a heavy social message, it is easy to read. The story follows Myeongju, who cared for her mother with dementia until her mother passed away and then preserved her as a mummy, sustaining her life with her mother’s pension, and Junseong, who accidentally caused the death of his father with alcoholic dementia by missing him. Their story unfolds with a fast pace, portraying a heavy theme.

The author paid special attention to making the novel engaging as it is her first full-length work. She said, “I thought a novel should be easy to read and interesting. During the revision process, I carefully checked to avoid boredom or redundancy. I referred a lot to the works of writer Jeong Youjeong, and even my 20-year-old son, who doesn’t read much, said it was good enough to recommend to his friends.”

Judge Jeong Youjeong praised “the author’s firm grip on a dark and weighty story,” and shared, “When the winning work was decided, I felt a bewildered pride as if it were a novel I had written myself.”

Moon Misun, who debuted in 2013 through the Munhwa Ilbo New Spring Literary Contest, received the Simhun Literary Award in 2021 for her short story collection Cat Bus, and this year won the World Literature Award. She plans to continue focusing on social issues. She said, “After my debut, my children entered university, and I worked for eight years earning minimum wage. During that time, my perspective on society changed a lot. I realized that social classes still exist, and the lower you go, the easier it is to get sick, injured, or die. I will continue to pay attention to such issues, especially generational conflicts, regional extinction, and digital underprivileged groups.”

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