The Graduate School of Translation & Interpretation Hosts a Special Lecture by Nobel Laureate in Literature Le Clézio
- 작성처
- Date2023.11.02
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The Graduate School of Translation & Interpretation Hosts a Special Lecture by Nobel Laureate in Literature Le Clézio
The Graduate School of Translation & Interpretation (GSTI) hosted a special lecture by Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, a French writer and winner of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature, at the LG Convention Hall in the International Education Building on October 30, 2023 (Mon.).
This special lecture, co-organized by the GSTI and the Daesan Foundation, came to an arrangement when Le Clézio willingly accepted the request for a lecture based on his experience of working as a chair professor at Ewha Womans University and a unique bond with Professor Mikyung Choi, an acknowledged leading expert in French translation and interpretation.
Author Le Clézio taught French literature and culture for a year as a chair professor at Ewha Womans University in 2007, and in this special lecture titled “My Memories of the Ascetic’s Cabin,” he discussed his year-long stay in Seoul including experiences that became inspirations for writing books such as Bitna, sous le ciel de Séoul (Bitna: Under the Sky of Seoul) and Tempête: Deux novellas, and his memories in the Ewha dormitory Hanwoori House, which he referred to as an “ascetic’s cabin.” He also drew interest among Ewha students by detailing his stray thoughts and episodes on aspects such as life at Hanwoori House, his exploration of every corner of the building, and daily life with dormmates.
Next, he mentioned poet Yoon Dong-ju and a select number of female writers such as Kim Ae-ran of My Brilliant Life and Han Kang of The Vegetarian to give his opinions on the characteristics of Korean literature and its role for the future. He emphasized in particular, “Modern Korean literature will breathe fresh air and pump the blood of youth into world literature.” Le Clézio also demonstrated his modesty by remarking that he has learned much from interacting with Professor Emeritus Ki-Jeong Song of the Department of French Language & Literature at Ewha Womans University who has translated his works with great passion and perfectionism and Professor Mikyung Choi of the Department of Interpreting & Translation (Korean-French language) at the GSTI who has introduced Korean literature to France by translating into French and publishing a number of works written by famous Korean authors such as Hwang Sok-yong, Lee Seung-u, Han Kang, and Kim Ae-ran.