Australia-Korea Poetry exchange project
In 2011 the Asialink Writing Program focused on Korea, a country with a rich literary tradition, particularly with regard to poetry. Where an Australian poet might print 500 or 1000 copies of their work, in Korea, leading writers have print runs in excess of a million. We initiated a three-stage project, aimed at creating connections between poets, editors, translators and readers. The main idea was to embed a tour within wider collaborative projects, and to emphasise reciprocal projects at each point.
Stage One: Special ‘Oz-Ko’ Issue of Cordite Poetry Review
Asialink’s partner Cordite Poetry Review published a special OZ-KO issue, featuring a huge range of new works including poetry in English and Hangul, critical essays, feature articles, interviews, photo essays and blog posts from a total of over seventy contemporary poets and writers.
35.0: OZ-KO (ENVOY) – features new works by twenty Australian poets in English responding to the theme of Australia-Korea connections.
35.1: OZ-KO (HOJU-HANGUK) – features works by twenty more Australian poets both in English and Hangul, with translations by Kim Gaihyun and Kim Sunghyun.
35.2: OZ-KO (HANGUK-HOJU) – features works by twenty Korean poets in English and Hangul, selected by Eun-gwi Chung and translated by Eun-gwi Chung and Brother Anthony of Taizé.
20th-century Korean poet Yi Sang's reclaimed house. Photo Ivy Alvarez.
Yeonhui's Writing Village, May 2011
Six Poets Speak Softly at the Wheeler Centre, Melbourne Writers Festival 2011.
This project is a partnership between Asialink, Cordite Poetry Review and the Korea Literature Translation Institute, with the generous additional support of the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian International Cultural Council and the Malcolm Robertson Foundation.
Stage One: Special ‘Oz-Ko’ Issue of Cordite Poetry Review
Asialink’s partner Cordite Poetry Review published a special OZ-KO issue, featuring a huge range of new works including poetry in English and Hangul, critical essays, feature articles, interviews, photo essays and blog posts from a total of over seventy contemporary poets and writers.35.0: OZ-KO (ENVOY) – features new works by twenty Australian poets in English responding to the theme of Australia-Korea connections.
35.1: OZ-KO (HOJU-HANGUK) – features works by twenty more Australian poets both in English and Hangul, with translations by Kim Gaihyun and Kim Sunghyun.
35.2: OZ-KO (HANGUK-HOJU) – features works by twenty Korean poets in English and Hangul, selected by Eun-gwi Chung and translated by Eun-gwi Chung and Brother Anthony of Taizé.
20th-century Korean poet Yi Sang's reclaimed house. Photo Ivy Alvarez.
Stage Two: Australia poets’ tour of Korea
Poets Barry Hill, Ivy Alvarez and Terry Jaensch, accompanied by Cordite Managing Editor and poet David Prater, and writing program manager and writer / artist Nicolas Low toured Seoul May 15-29th 2011. They undertook a two-week residency at Yeonhui Writers Village, presented work at a range of forums, universities and festivals, and collaborated with Korean architects and designers.- Ivy Alvarez’s account of the tour
- David Prater on dialogues between Australian and Korean poets
- Gay/Poet/Korea: An interview with Gabriel Sylvian on the poetry of Gi Hyeong-do by Terry Jaensch
- Nic Low explores urban myth, rumour and psychogeography in Seoul
Yeonhui's Writing Village, May 2011
Stage Three: Korean poets’ tour of Australia
In August / September 2011, Korean writers Kim Ki Taek, Hwang Dong-kyu, Park Ra Yeon and Park Hyung Jun visited Australia, introducing themselves and their work to enthusiastic audiences in Sydney and Melbourne. They presented in Sydney at the Red Room Poetry Company; at the Melbourne Writers Festival; and visited Queenscliff for a dinner and reading with Barry Hill.Six Poets Speak Softly at the Wheeler Centre, Melbourne Writers Festival 2011.
This project is a partnership between Asialink, Cordite Poetry Review and the Korea Literature Translation Institute, with the generous additional support of the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian International Cultural Council and the Malcolm Robertson Foundation.