Korean Han Kang’s violent and surreal debut novel took home the victory – Aftonbladet

Han Kang The vegetarian was the novel that won the international Booker Prize in 2016. The book has been much talked about even earlier. When it was first published in 2007 in South Korea bewildered and shocked the readers. Not least to Han Kang was a exalted and serious poet – that she wrote a novel about a woman who was about to turn into a tree, and if the plants sexual life, confused.

When book is published in English translation by Deborah Smith (that may also take part of the price) was receiving more unequivocal espousal. The vegetarian, which comes out in Swedish translation next year with the title The vegetarian , is described as violent and surreal, both rampant and extremely controlled. Already this autumn given one of her other novels published in Swedish, Live and dead , the story of a massacre.

Previously it International Booker Prize one completely authorship, at least partially, would be available in English. New

statutes were introduced in 2015 that has made the price to a more purely translation price, which means that even the translators rewarded. The author is rewarded now also especially for the current work. It is hoped that in this way will provide the translated literature, as always treated shabbily in the English speaking world, higher status.

If the price is to lift the translated literature remains to be see. But the choice of Han Kang points to a potentially more exciting price, one that does not need to see the entire oeuvre, but can highlight a novel that should reach readers here and now.