Mirinae Lee, author of the novel “8 Lives of a Centuries-Old Trickster,” is the first Korean writer to win the William Saroyan International Prize.
The 41-year-old author has won this year’s William Saroyan International Prize in Fiction, according to the William Saroyan Foundation on Sunday. The novel, the author’s debut, tells the story of a woman who survived the turbulent years of Japanese occupation, liberation, the Korean War and the division of Korea. “A beautifully complex story of human weaknesses and strengths,” said the judges. “Lee’s characters are so fascinating that the need to unravel them and uncover their secrets creates unexpected tension, but her lyrical and evocative prose simultaneously demands a slow savoring of each page.”
Established in 2003 in honor of American novelist and playwright William Saroyan (1908–1981), the literary prize for fiction and nonfiction is presented every two years by the Saroyan Foundation and the Stanford University Libraries and recognizes the work of the most promising emerging writers in the fields of fiction and nonfiction. Previous winners in the fiction category include Nicole Krauss’ The History of Love and last year’s Pulitzer Prize winner Hernan Diaz’ In the Distance.
The author, whose native language is Korean, wrote the work in English and published it first in the UK and later in the US. The Korean edition was released last month. “I am excited and happy to have won one of the few literary prizes in the US that is open to foreigners,” Lee said.
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