Han Kang on ink, blood, and trauma in her Nobel-winning work

Han Kang, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, will participate in the Diálogos de Sant Jordi to mark the reissue of her 2010 novel. The South Korean author, born in Gwangju in 1970, writes with her entire body, a corporeal awareness that permeates her narrative. In "The Vegetarian" (2007), the protagonist's external appearance is elusive, but the internal anguish and social pressure channeled through her body are palpable. Violence—multiple forms of it—is central to Kang's work, explored through ink and blood as metaphors for trauma. The event highlights her lesser-known side: disturbing poems and an optimistic children's story.