An extract from Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan, translated by Chi-Young Kim
Shortisted for the International Booker Prize 2023, Whale follows the lives of three linked characters in South Korea, in an adventure-satire of epic proportions
Chi-Young Kim is a literary translator and editor, who trained as a lawyer before taking up translation, initially as a hobby.
Now a recipient of the Man Asian Literary Prize for her work on Please Look After Mom by Kyung-sook Shin, Chi-Young Kim has translated over a dozen books, including works by Ae-ran Kim, You-jeong Jeong, and Young-ha Kim, among others. She was born in Boston MA and is now based in Los Angeles CA.
Chi-Young Kim’s translation of Whale was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2023, announced on April 18, 2023.
Translated by Chi-Young Kim