Interview with novelist Lee Mirinae

Lee Mirinae (41), a debut author who garnered international attention with her first full-length novel, was recently interviewed at the Dong-A Media Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday. Her novel, ‘8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster: A Novel,’ tells the story of a woman who transforms herself like a chameleon while navigating the complexities of the Japanese colonial period and the Korean War. The book was originally written in English and has been published in over 10 countries, including the U.K. and Italy. It first made waves overseas, securing a contract in the U.S. with a few hundred million won royalties. The novel was recently translated into Korean and published domestically. “I’m even more nervous now, presenting this book to Korean readers who can understand it without any background explanation,” Lee said.

In 2021, the publishing industry was abuzz when HarperCollins acquired this author's debut novel for 200 million won. HarperCollins, renowned for publishing classic English and American literature such as ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and ‘Moby Dick,’ released the novel under its main brand, rather than a sub-brand typically used for works by foreign authors, including those from Asia.

Lee was born in Seoul and completed her elementary, middle, and high school education in Korea. After majoring in English literature at a university in the U.S., she has lived in Hong Kong with her family for the past 13 years. Although she initially attempted to write a novel in Korean, it didn’t go as planned. "Living in a place where English is the official language, I naturally began writing novels in English. Since it’s not my native language, I felt freer to write without self-censorship," Lee explained. Her novel was inspired by real people, including her paternal grandfather, who lost a leg to an anti-personnel landmine in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, and her great-aunt, who was a North Korean defector.


김소민 somin@donga.com