Yi Won, South Korea

Yi Won, born in 1968 in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, is a major South Korean poet. She attracted much attention with her first collection, When They Ruled the Earth, published in 1996. From the very beginning her subject has been the loneliness and feeling of being lost of modern humans in a world of relentless technological progress. The diction in her poems is concise and unsettling, but at the same time it keeps alive the long tradition of Buddhism, which Yi Won combines with elements of Science Fiction and Korean gangsta rap. Following her debut, she has published three more books of poems, further establishing her reputation as one of the most exciting and consistent poets in South Korea.

Publications (Selection):
When They Ruled the Earth. Moonji Publishing, 1996
A Thousands Moons Rising Over the River of Yahoo!. Moonji Publishing, 2001
The World’s Lightest Motorcycle. Moonji Publishing, 2007
The History of the Impossible Paper. Moonji Publishing, 2012

Prices (Selection):
2002: Contemporary Poetics Award
2005: Contemporary Poetry Award