Han Kang, Ma Yeong-shin nominated for Emile Guimet Prize

French editions of "I Do Not Bid Farewell" (left) and "Moms" (Grasset, Atrabile)

Han Kang's "I Do Not Bid Farewell" and Ma Yeong-shin's graphic novel "Moms" have been nominated as finalists for the Emile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature in France, the Literature Translation Institute of Korea announced Monday.

"I Do Not Bid Farewell" delves into the tragic events of the Jeju April 3 incident through the perspectives of three women.

Translated into French by Kyungran Choi and Pierre Bisiou, the novel garnered attention particularly after Han made headlines in November for winning the Prix Medicis for foreign literature in France. It was the first time a work by a South Korean author received the prize. Han also received the International Booker Prize in 2016 for “The Vegetarian.”

Also competing for the Emile Guimet Prize are Indian-born British American author Salman Rushdie's "Victory City" and Akiko Kawasaki's "Horse and Wind" from Japan.

Although Kim Soom's novel "The Wandering Earth” was longlisted in the novel category, it did not make it to the final shortlist.

In the graphic novel category, Ma’s "Moms" was nominated as one of two finalists for the award's inaugural year. The french edition was translated by Lee Hyon-hee.

Competing against it is "The Daughter of Taiwan” by Yu Pei-Yun and Zhou Jian-Xin.

"Moms" has also been recognized as a candidate for the official selection of the 51st Angouleme International Comics Festival, although it did not secure an award.

The darkly funny book follows three middle-aged women and reexamines romance, lust and gender norms.

Inaugurated in 2017, the Emile Guimet Prize for Asian Literature is presented by France's Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts to works of literature written in Asian languages.

The final winner is scheduled to be announced on Feb. 29.

By Hwang Dong-hee(hwangdh@heraldcorp.com)