Han Kang Discusses New Nonfiction Work and Literary Process in Vogue Interview

South Korean author Han Kang, recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature, has published her first nonfiction work in English titled Light and Thread. The book combines her Nobel lecture with poems, essays, and diary entries, offering insights into her creative environment and personal reflections. In an interview with Vogue, conducted with translator assistance, Kang discussed her writing process, the connection between gardening and writing, and themes of violence and hope. She described novels as requiring years of work and willpower, contrasting them with occasional poetry. Her routine intensifies during writing periods, though she often lives without strict schedules. Kang reflected on historical violence in South Korea, referencing the Jeju Massacre of 1948 and the Gwangju Uprising of 1980, which inspired her novels We Do Not Part (2021) and Human Acts (2014). She emphasized literature's role in imagining vividly and fostering sensitivity, arguing it is necessary rather than supplementary. Kang's earlier works include The Vegetarian (2007), Greek Lessons (2011), and The White Book (2016), exploring themes of patriarchy, isolation, loss, and trauma. She noted that Human Acts fundamentally transformed her during its year-and-a-half creation. The author expressed belief in nurturing fragile hope to avoid despair.