Novelist Running Through Time - Chapter 59

TL: KSD

The Booker Prize

Along with Sweden’s Nobel Prize in Literature and France’s Prix Goncourt, the Booker Prize is known as one of the “three major literary awards in the world”…….

……but these words alone cannot fully explain the prestige of the Booker Prize!

Originally called the “Man Booker Prize,” the Booker Prize was established in 1968, sponsored by the Booker Group.

In fact, compared to the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Prix Goncourt, the Booker Prize has a shorter history, and its founding sponsor, the Booker Group, is fundamentally a food distribution company far removed from books.

Yet, the reason why the Booker Prize stands shoulder to shoulder with the Nobel Prize in Literature and the Prix Goncourt is simple.

It is the most ‘popular-friendly’ among the world’s most prestigious literary awards, representing the cultural powerhouse of the United Kingdom.

Typically, literary awards go through a secretive process from selection to awarding. The criteria for selection are secret, and in some cases, even the panel of judges is kept confidential.

This is because the question of “which book is better?” is subjective, not objective.

Ultimately, the tastes and discernment of the judges decide the award, so the organizers often shroud the list of judges in secrecy or keep the discussion process strictly confidential, even if the list is made public, to maintain the authority and solemnity of the literary award.

However, the Booker Prize starts by revealing the list of judges.

It even seeks the opinions of readers during the selection process of the winning work.

Far from being a mere formality, the opinions of readers are strongly reflected in the second round of judging, which determines the final winner.

Thus, the Booker Prize possesses the authority of being one of the world’s top literary awards, its approachability without pretense towards readers, and even a generous prize money.

While it faces criticism for being overly undignified from some quarters,

compared to the Nobel Prize in Literature, whose winners fluctuate according to the political interests of the Swedish government,

and the Prix Goncourt, which relies on its fame and throws a mere 10,000 won as prize money,

the Booker Prize is praised for being the most comprehensively evaluated literary award in terms of both artistic value and popularity.

-Wow. Isn’t the Booker Prize that award which caused a buzz a few years ago as being on par with the Nobel Prize in Literature? Congratulations!

-The Booker Prize! Congratulations! But what is the Booker Prize?

Although Kim Byul and Min Hyo-chan sent their congratulations, in truth, they were among those who didn’t quite understand what the Booker Prize was.

However, unlike these ‘Booker ignoramuses’, Moon In-seop was very much aware of the situation he was in.

The ‘Booker Prize’, which targets Commonwealth countries’ literature, and the ‘International Booker Prize’, which targets literature from foreign countries.

From the initial ‘longlist’ of 13 to the second ‘shortlist’ of 6.

His story, ‘A Love Story’, was now selected for the ‘longlist’ of the ‘International Booker Prize’.

In other words, one of the world’s most prestigious literary awards had judged his novel, ‘A Love Story’, to be worthy of being among the top 13 pieces of literature from non-English-speaking countries around the world.

And this had been officially announced to the entire world, drawing the attention of all English-speaking readers.

“Hmm, is that so.”

Thinking it must surely be a dream, Moon In-seop crawled back into the pile of blankets on the floor. He had only slept for 3 hours. He needed to sleep more.

But he couldn’t fall asleep. Naturally. He knew deep down that this wasn’t a dream.

Finally fully acknowledging the reality, Moon In-seop wriggled under the blanket, covering himself completely.

And he began to roll around on the floor, expressing his joy with his entire body.

Rolling around.

Rolling around.

Thus, the blanket, rolled up like a kimbap, continued to roll across the floor for quite some time.

EP 5-A Love Story

In fact, the biggest influence on ‘A Love Story’ being selected for the International Booker Prize longlist was none other than ‘Red Hunter’.

And it was not the novel, but the film adaptation.

The movie ‘Red Hunter’, which began production last fall, was released this spring after six months.

Six months is the average production time for a film, but industry insiders who attended the premiere nodded in agreement that only Director So Tae-woong could produce such a blockbuster in just six months.

-…Why did you kill him?

-Because he’s a communist.

The sticky noir of Shanghai’s back alleys.

-Opium! A man claiming to fight against Japanese occupation dealing in opium! What is this supposed to mean…!

-So, killing communists and stealing money from the Russians is honorable?

The human anguish of the provisional government’s leadership over the issue of funds for the independence movement.

-Embracing the mission to protect the great Asia from the beastly British and Americans, the loyal subjects of the empire must unite from top to bottom to defend Shinto and spread the spirit of the Eight Corners of the World…

-Receive the divine punishment of 20 million Korean compatriots!

-Kraaaagh!

The indispensable bomb education in an anti-Japanese film.

-I shouldn’t have… let you live.

-I think so too. If that were the case, I wouldn’t have had to endure this miserable life. Why did you do this to me?

-…Go. Never show yourself before me again.

-You are a murderer.

The murderer and avenger reunited on the snowy plains of Manchuria.

And then…

Action.

A chase through the complicated and bizarre obstacles of Shanghai’s back alleys.

A merciless shootout under the moonlight of Gyeongseong, toying with dozens of policemen with just two guns.

A duel atop horses galloping through the snowy fields of Manchuria, between two snipers.

Amid the ticking timer of a time bomb planted somewhere in a train speeding through Manchuria, a fierce swordfight unfolds between an assassin and a Japanese military officer.

A close-range shootout erupts inside a building crowded with people at the moment when negotiations between the anti-communists and the communists break down in the worst way possible.

A fierce battle over a suitcase of gold bars sent by the Comintern between two forces.

Gun action burning everything in its path to extract a VIP from the hellish scenes unfolding in Nanjing.

The movie ‘Red Hunter’, which drew out all possible actions with guns to the limit, received a standing ovation from the critics at the premiere.

-A dry gaze that penetrates the era with bullets (9/10)

-The prophecy of the 38th parallel drawn the moment two people aimed their guns at each other (7/10)

-The Korean John Wick (4/10)

-The ideologies clashing in the dark smell of gunpowder (8/10)

-Blood, steel, and salvation (10/10)

-The rules of the underworld that dominate the world (7/10)

-The pitiful heroism of humans (8/10)

-Those who cry without tears, and the era (9/10)

The moment the movie was released, critics’ positive reviews followed.

In fact, at a time when the entire Korean film industry was gradually declining, Director So Tae-woong, who brought a blockbuster with a huge investment, was no different from a hero on a white horse.

Even rivals who had fiercely competed until a few years ago wished for So Tae-woong’s success this time. After all, the industry needs to revive for them to continue making a living.

In such implicit support, ‘Red Hunter’ easily became a hot topic.

And if ‘Red Hunter’, by Director So Tae-woong’s standards, easily became a hot topic, it meant there was a potential for ‘ten million’ viewers.

“Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please…”

Kim Byul fervently prayed at home, wishing to be in a ten-million-viewer movie for the first time in ten years.

And then the rapidly increasing audience numbers.

Watching the graph soar sharply upward, unprecedented in last year’s records, many placed their hopes on the film.

Kim Byul was no exception.

“Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please…”

However, Kim Byul’s expectations were not met.

The sharply rising number of viewers suddenly came to a halt as if it hit a speed bump.

The Korean film industry, devastated by COVID and choked by rising ticket prices, had not yet recovered enough to churn out ten-million-viewer movies like in the old days…

“Aaaargh-!”

Kim Byul, who suffered as much as she had hoped, let out a scream in her room, and Director So Tae-woong breathed a sigh of relief, having barely crossed the break-even point.

Thus, ‘Red Hunter’ made a graceful exit from theaters to everyone’s applause, having fought well enough by everyone’s measure.

However, at this time, the fate of the film was changed by a decision made by a high-ranking official at the movie distribution company.

-Hey, just send it straight to Netflix.

-Already?

-Ah, fuck, these days everyone watches it illegally anyway, what’s the point in delaying like in the old days. It’s more profitable to sell the rights when they’re at their highest.

-Should we?

-Ah, don’t know, just proceed with it. I’m pissed we barely broke even after investing so much…

Thus, ‘Red Hunter’ was unusually released on OTT shortly after its departure from theaters.

And ‘Resistance – The Red Purge’ became an unprecedented hit in the English-speaking world.

-It exploded…!

-See! Fuck! Didn’t I tell you it would work!

-When did the CEO ever…?

-Shut it!

-Why did this even become a hit…?

No one knows why.

That’s just how this industry is.

The outcome isn’t dependent on the work itself, nor on marketing, but only the result holds the truth.

It was merely proven that there were so many people crazy about movies featuring an East Asian wearing sunglasses, wielding dual pistols, and wreaking havoc.

And Kim Byul, who rarely went to school, tried to act nonchalant but couldn’t hide the smile blossoming on her face.

* * *

“The author of ‘Resistance, The Red Purge’ is ‘Moon In’? The young writer we signed?”

The first overseas reaction that thought of Moon In in the wake of the success of ‘Red Hunter’, or rather, ‘Resistance – The Red Purge’, came not from the Booker Prize committee but from an American publisher.

Baek Seol had secured a distribution deal during her business trip with one of the major publishers in the U.S. where ‘Moon In’ was mentioned.

Naturally, it was for marketing purposes. As long as they had acquired Moon In’s books, the more they sold, the better for them.

“What a timely opportunity. Though I still can’t believe a kid wrote this…”

“Does that matter, Chief?”

“Of course not! It’s even better if it’s not a lie, and if it is, do we lose out? It’s the Koreans who would be embarrassed, not us.”

The American publisher launched a major promotional campaign to ride the wave of ‘Resistance’s success.

Not only the original novel of ‘Resistance’, ‘Red Hunter’, but several novels by the author Moon In, whose rights were acquired from Korea, were bundled together for the promotion.

And the ones who had the recommendation rights for the first round of the prestigious English-speaking literary award ‘The Booker Prize’ were…

Exactly these English-speaking publishers.

The recommendation list from the American publisher made its way to the UK.

And on that list were works by author Moon In.

In the Booker Foundation’s committee room in the UK, one of the judges confidently proclaimed,

“See! I told you this author was going to be great!”

Even if it’s considered one of the top three literary awards in the world, the Booker Prize is ultimately a literary award managed by a foundation, and the winners are determined by a committee invited by that foundation.

The selection of the globally watched Booker Prize is decided in a room by just a few judges.

In that room, a judge who had previously recommended Moon In’s ‘other’ work but was bluntly rejected, confidently smiled.

“Now, what do you have to say? No popularity? Unknown? Not translated? Did this become a hit because of Netflix? Look! Seems like the situation has changed, hasn’t it?”

“Admitted. I lost. So stop it. Don’t get cocky…”

“Ha! So you admit it? My judgment was more accurate than the senior’s?”

“Enough.”

“Yep.”

The experts of the Booker Prize committee are editors, critics, and novelists, with some people embodying all these roles. The first special feature they discovered was in the translation.

“This translation quality is not ordinary, is it?”

“The translation has a British feel. The nuances and expressions aren’t something Americans would use.”

“But wasn’t this translated by the American side?”

“No, they only did the recommendation and export. The translation was done in Korea itself. Who is it? Baek Seol?”

Incidentally, the International Booker Prize highlights not only the authors but also the quality of the translators.

“Huh? This person studied English literature at Oxford?”

“What? You were classmates?”

“Again, the Oxford gang colludes.”

“No wonder the translation felt so ‘dignified’…”

“Indeed, English must be learned from a place with ‘roots’, right?”

“Okay, okay, enough joking around, we need to look at other works and decide. What do you think?”

“‘Resistance The Red Purge’ feels too local. Since we’re considering reader opinions from the second round of judging, ‘A Love Story’ set in Brooklyn might be better?”

“Relatability is important.”

“I personally found ‘Love Story’ the best even on its own. The twist in the middle felt lively, and the message seemed like a mix of Christian and Eastern philosophies…”

“Okay. So, we’re selecting it for the longlist?”

“Wait a minute. But the author is a kid, does that make sense?”

“Is it our responsibility if we verify and it turns out to be false?”

“No.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“Ah.”

Thus, the Booker Prize committee selected ‘A Love Story’ as a first-round candidate, namely, for the longlist, and then went out in groups for lunch in the city.

However, the conversation that took place in this office held the power to overturn an entire country on the other side of the globe.

Yes, not just an ‘industry’ but a ‘country’.

Immediately following the announcement of the Booker Prize longlist, South Korea was turned upside down.

The reason was simple.

A ‘Korea vs. Japan’ match had been set up.

<International Booker Prize, Moon In vs. Eisaku Shidehara>

<Exclusive, A Clash in the Booker Prize, one of the Top 3 Literary Awards Worldwide, between a 14-Year-Old Korean Prodigy and a 68-Year-Old Japanese Literary Giant>

<From ‘Cause of Death’ to ‘A Love Story’… Learn about Author Moon In, who Stands in the Same Ring as Eisaku Shidehara>

<Nominated for the International Booker Prize ‘A Love Story’, Yet ‘Unnoticed’ in Korea?>

*****

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