SIBF 2025 18-22 June, 2025 l COEX Halls A & B1
Book Talk/Seminar
Theme Lecture
We dream of a better future than the one we have now,
but our insatiable individual desires are undermining our values.
What should we look back to for peace in 100 years?
In this lecture at the 2024 Seoul International Book Fair, we take a step back and look to the future.
It looks at the world outside of peace that we need to pay attention to in order to realize ''Houyhnhnm" as an ideal.
Houyhnhnm
The theme of the Seoul International Book Fair 2024, Houyhnhnm, tells the story of Gulliver's last journey in the novel Gulliver's Travels including the third and fourth parts of the previous unpublished Gulliver's Travels (translated by Choi Nam Sun). The new Gulliver's Travels is written by novelist Kim Yeon-su and illustrated by artist Kang Hye-sook. We talk about the process of creating a book and the story of Houyhnhnm.
ㅣSpeaker: Kang Hye-sook (Picture book artist), Kim Yeon-su (Novelist)
ㅣModerator: Cho Yeon-ju (Publisher)
- Date/Time: June 26 (Wed) 14:30-16:00
- Location: Book Salon
※ Text interpretation (Korean) is available for this talk.
Recipes that Lead to Memories
Crying in H-Mart: A Memoir reminds everyone of a time that has passed. There are recipes that are passed down as memories. That memory resonates across borders and around the world. Somewhere on the untouched border, Michelle Zauner is exploring the new possibilities of culture. She centers her life around the intersection of different cultures and expresses her deepest thoughts through music and literature. Join us as we hear from Michelle Zauner as she expands her world.
ㅣSpeaker: Michelle Zauner (Lead vocalist of the band Japanese Breakfast)
ㅣModerator: Han So-beom (Journalist)
- Date/Time: June 27 (Thu) 14:30 - 16:00
- Location: Book Salon
※ Text interpretation (Korean) is available for this talk.
Where Does the Arrow of Peace Point?
Why is it that we humans live so many years of our lives, each of which is filled with conflicts large and small? Is it because we all call for peace, but our hearts are different? But if we recognize the tiny seeds of violence lurking in the depths of our hearts, we may be able to prevent the coming metastasis. Let's take a look at some of the world's most violent societal events and reorient ourselves toward peace.
ㅣSpeaker: Kim Min-kwan (Journalist), Jeong Hwan-bin (Researcher on Palestine)
ㅣModerator: Chung Ju-jin (Director at Center for Peace & Conflict Resolution)
- Date/Time: June 27 (Thu) 16:30 - 18:00
- Location: Readers Hall 1
Disappearing Beauty, Ecological Sensitivity
Is Houyhnhnm, expressed as a rational and ideal world, a perfect world? We've seen in the past few years that what humans deem rational can turn out to be catastrophic, and the aftermath can destroy not only humans but entire ecosystems. We've become aware of the anthropocentric that has become entrenched in the paradigm of nature-human relations, and we've realized that conquering and dominating nature can no longer give us ultimate peace. In this context, the liberation of the Jedol, released back into the ocean 10 years ago, symbolizes the right of humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems to live together in the Anthropocene. Now, taking it a step further, active efforts are being made to ensure that animals, plants, and ecosystems are recognized as “legal persons of rights” and can enjoy life on their own terms. A fundamental shift in human perceptions and attitudes towards nature is needed.
ㅣSpeaker: Choe Jae-cheon (Professor of Eco-Science department at Ewha Womans University, Chair professor, Director of the Biodiversity Foundation)
- Date/Time: June 29 (Sat) 14:30 - 16:00
- Location: Book Salon
※ Text interpretation (Korean) is available for this talk.
Liberation
Jokha Alharthi, the Oman novelist whose won the 2019 Man Booker International Prize, and Eun Hee-kyung, who has been exploring human uniqueness through literature for nearly 30 years, join us for a conversation about human dignity and freedom in an age of violence and conflict. Join us for a conversation with two novelists who envision a world where understanding, respect for others, and diversity can coexist.
ㅣSpeaker: Eun Hee-kyung (Novelist), Jokha Alharthi (Novelist)
ㅣModerator: Heo Hee (Literary critic)
- Date/Time: June 29 (Sat) 17:30 - 19:00
- Location: Book Salon
※ Text interpretation (Korean) is available for this talk.
