Gochang Sinjae-hyo Literary Award: Lee Gangwon Wins with "Manggeum Villa"

On March 18, Gochang County held the 5th Gochang Sinjae-hyo Literary Award ceremony at Dongri Gugakdang, and provided an opportunity for communication with local residents through a conversation session with writer Lee Gangwon.

On the 18th, Gochang County held the '5th Gochang Sinjaehyo Literary Award' ceremony at Dongri Gugakdang and had a conversation session with writer Kangwon Lee. Provided by Gochang County

The ceremony was attended by approximately 300 people, including the governor of Gochang County, local middle and high school students, members of cultural and artistic organizations, and reading club members. The winning entry was the novel "Manggeum Villa" by Lee Gangwon.

Lee Gangwon was born in Sinlim-myeon, Gochang County, and graduated from the Graduate School of Creative Writing at Wonkwang University. He began his literary career in 2020 with the novel "Father's First Song," and has continued his creative activities by publishing numerous works, including "The Boy's River" and "A Man Without a Central Head." He was honored with the 5th Gochang Sinjae-hyo Literary Award this year.

The award-winning novel "Manggeum Villa" centers on the conflict and understanding between a protagonist who lost his family to war and disease and now works as a land-selling builder, and his son, an archaeologist working at an excavation site. Through the depiction of personal wounds and generational clashes, the novel deeply explores the history and nature of Gochang, as well as the lives of its people.

Shim Deokseop, Governor of Gochang County, said, "I am very pleased that the Gochang Sinjae-hyo Literary Award has already reached its fifth edition and has established itself as a meaningful award for writers. We will continue to do our best to ensure that culture is a part of daily life not only for the people of Gochang but for everyone across the country."

Meanwhile, the Gochang Sinjae-hyo Literary Award is a literary prize that invites submissions of original novels based on stories about Gochang. The 6th Gochang Sinjae-hyo Literary Award is currently accepting entries until August 31.

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