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Timeless Values and Power of Prose Shine Through in Q3 2024 Bestsellers scrap download

시대불문의 가치, 문장의 힘을 보여준 2024년 3분기 베스트셀러

“What comes after YouTube? Could it be paper books again?” This question, posed by author Han Kang during her lecture at the 2019 Seoul International Book Fair, feels more relevant than ever today. Among teens and twentysomethings worldwide, i.e., Gen Z, a new phenomenon termed “text hip” is increasingly taking hold—they share images of themselves reading on YouTube and other social media, and quote favorite books and passages. For this generation of digital natives, print has interestingly become a trendy medium. Indeed, the latter half of this year has truly been about the “power of prose.” When Han Kang was named the 2024 Nobel Literature Prize winner in October, the world buzzed with excitement. People lined up at bookstores to purchase her books and flocked to libraries to read. Sales of literary works by other Korean authors have also risen, signaling a welcome and heartening movement.


Among Q3 bestsellers in Korean literature, several backlist titles that emerged as popular reads last year have maintained their top positions. While such older titles typically see declining sales over time, Contradiction and Gu’s Proof have secured 1st and 6th place respectively, suggesting their staying power on the bestseller list. These “trusted reads,” with their elegant yet delicate prose and timeless, relatable passages, continue to draw new readers regardless of their publication date.


Demand for young adult (YA) literature has also been notably high. Lee Kkotnim, widely recognized as a “leading author in young adult fiction,” has firmly established her unique literary universe through works such as Taking a Bite out of Summer and I Will Cross Time for You. Her latest release, Girl You Want to Kill 2, has reached 4th place on the bestseller list, while several of her earlier works have also ranked among bestsellers. Another YA title, If We Ever Look at the Same Star by Cha In-pyo, has claimed 2nd spot and garnered much attention after being selected as a recommended reading title at the University of Oxford this year. The rapid growth of YA literature can be attributed to its shift from traditional themes like family, friendship, and school life, to more diverse topics that address social issues and evoke empathy across generations. The rise in teen reading rates during the first half of this year has further fueled this trend, with young readers increasingly making independent book purchases based on their interests—whether for academic purposes, self-improvement, or pure enjoyment.


Additionally, the latter half of the year saw the return of major authors. Kim Hoon, “the voice of our times,” Kim Ae-ran, “the young virtuoso of Korean literature,” and Jeong You-jeong, “the queen of thrillers,” all published new books. Kim Hoon’s essay collection, Wasted Years, which is his first release in five years, ranked 3rd on the bestseller list. Kim Ae-ran’s One of These Two is a Lie, published after a 13-year hiatus from full-length novels, reached 12th place, while Jeong You-jeong’s Eternal Heaven, the second installment in her “desire trilogy,” landed at 13th.


Meanwhile, the enduring popularity of Korean-style healing novels, also known as “feel-good” novels, remains strong. My Don Quixote and Uncanny Convenience Store 1, 2, with their fairy-tale-like stories set in everyday life, consistently appear on bestseller lists, reflecting readers’ ongoing interest in comforting stories.


Written by Lee Seung-yeon

Lee Seung-yeon is a reporter for City Life, a weekly magazine published by Maeil Business Newspaper. She explores cultural and lifestyle trends, encapsulating the world within the pages of the magazine each week.


Translated by Soyoung Kim

Soyoung is a translator specializing in literature and film. After a decade of corporate life in public relations, she now immerses in translating works that resonate with her. Her recent translations include stage plays Sunlight Shower and This is Home by Jang Woojae, and she is currently translating a novel for young adults. Soyoung majored in English interpretation and translation at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and studied business administration at the Graduate School of International Studies at Yonsei University. She completed a two-year government-funded literary translation course at the Literature Translation Institute of Korea (LTI Korea). Soyoung won Grand Prize in the film category of the Media Translation Contest organized by LTI Korea in 2021.

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