Kim Ryeo-ryeong

Kim Ryeo-ryeong (born 1971) (Hangul: 김려령) is a South Korean writer.^[1]

Life

Kim Ryeo-ryeong was born in Seoul in 1971 and grew up in Seoul and Daejeon at her maternal grandmother's house, and at her paternal great-grandmother's place respectively. As Kim grew up listening to old stories told by both her grandmothers, who would cook rice in a big iron pot placed over firewood, her childhood cannot be thought of without the immense influences of her grandmothers. When she lived with her great-grandmother, playing in a village that had many streams, she yearned to become a teacher and a policewoman. She was fascinated by her teacher who knew everything and did anything for her. Filled with the desire to ride on a police car, she once even lied that she was lost. Kim Ryeo-ryeong and her friends walked into the local police station where a policemen gave them some bread, patiently listened to their stories, and drove them back home in his police car.^[2]

Kim went on to earn her degree in creative writing from the Seoul Institute of the Arts.^[3]

When Kim was in highschool, she watched a Hong Kong movie called Yes, Madam, and immediately afterwards with her friends she signed up to learn kung fu. The fad lasted about a year, but her then-experience at a martial arts gym was useful in writing her bestseller young-readers novel Wandeuk which background includes a kickboxing gym. In that story, she demonstrated such a realistic portrayal of the behavior and psychological state of a teenage boy that some readers said they felt as though a seventeen-year-old boy was living within the writer's heart. It also helped greatly that she maintained friendship with her former kung fu class buddies who later became kickboxing coaches.^[2]

Always thinking she wished to study literature, Kim became an adult, got married, and had two children, a boy and a girl. Only after she turned 30, could she enter the creative writing department of Seoul Institute of the Arts. Kim had a long-time habit of taking notes when she heard an unusual mode of speech or met someone behaving in a striking manner, and this became a strong tool for the late starter. Compared to most other children's stories, Kim's works tend to introduce a great number of characters, all who have distinctive, and unique characteristics, earning her the critique "a writer with impressive characters." ^[2]

Work

Kim’s work generally focuses on adolescent issues. Kim's characters are extremely typical, ordinary neighbors one might run into in any alley, but taking a closer look at, they generally have hard-earned scars. The source of each character's deep wounds is hidden behind their bittersweet smiles. Kim suggests that even the saddest life is not tragic throughout every single living moment. To the contrary, tragedy usually makes its appearance between the turning points including numerous scenes of comedy. Kim also aims implicit criticism at people content with themselves, who achieve their success by trampling on others.^[1]

She has won multiple prizes for her writing including the Munhak Dongne Children’s Literature Prize in 2007 for A Seahorse Lives in My Heart, Ma Hae-song Literary Award in 2007 for The Child Who Brought Memory, and Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction in 2007 for Wandeuk (published by Changbi). .^[3] Wandeuk was immediately successful with readers ^[4] and was declared the “best novel of the year” in an online poll .^[5] The book went on to sell more than 700,000 copies.^[6] and was made into a successful film, titled Punch in English, in 2011.^[7]

Awards

• Munhak Dongne Children’s Literature Prize (2007)
• Ma Hae-song Literary Award in 2007 (2007)
• Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction (2007)
• Korean Literature Prize of the First Blogger's Literature Grand Award for Wandeuk (2008)

Works in English

None

Works in Korean (Partial)

• The Child Who Brought Memories / Gieokeul gajeoon ai (2007)
• There's a Sea Horse Living in My Heart / Nae gaseume haemaga sanda (2007)
• Wandeuk / 완득이 (2008)
• I Must Become Famous / Naneun kkok yumyeonghaejyeoya dwae (2007)
• Loud and Boisterous Green Apartment / Yoranyoran pureun apateu (2008)
• Crafty Sevens / Angkeumhan ilgopsal (2009)
• The Elegant Lies / 우아한 거짓말l) (2009)
• Have You Ever Seen That Person? / Geu sarameul bon jeogi innayo? (2011)

References

External links