Kim Tong-ni

Life Kim Dongni, born Kim Sijong on 24 November 1913, in Gyeongju, Keishōhoku-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan, was a well-known Korean short-story writer and poet. Kim Dongni attended Gyeseong Middle School in Daegu before transferring to Kyungshin Middle School in Keijō. After family circumstances forced him to drop out, he devoted himself to reading in place of regular coursework. He read a tremendous number of books, including philosophy, world literature and Eastern classics. Kim's eldest brother, , a scholar of Chinese classics and a philosopher, had great influence on Kim's extensive reading and his prospects of becoming a writer of Korean literature. In 1928 he dropped out of school in order to devote himself to writing. at which point he married Seo Yeong-eun (서영은) the same year. He died on 17 June 1995.

Work Kim's work deals with traditional and native Korean themes from a 20th-century perspective. As a right-wing writer and advocate of "pure literature", Kim Dongri produced a series of critical essays opposing ideological literature, including The True Meaning of Pure Literature (Sunsu munhagui jinui, 1946) and The Theory of National Literature (Minjok munhangnon, 1948).

Awards Freedom Literature Prize (1955) Korean Academy of Arts Prize (1958) Citizens' Order of the Republic of Korea (1958) Samil Prize (1967) Seoul City Literature Award (1970) Order of Civil Merit, Peony Medal (1970) 5.16 People's Literature Award (1983) Korean Arts Council Selection Shining 20th Century Artist (1999)

Works in Translation

Ulhwa The Shaman Sorceress - English ULHWA the Shaman - English ULHWA, la exorcista - Spanish Ulhwa, die schamanin - German 乙火 - Chinese La Chamane - French

Saban-ui sipjaga The Cross of Shaphan - English La Croix de Schaphan - French

Short Stories A Descendant of the Hwarang in A Ready-made Life: Early Masters of Modern Korean Fiction Greedy Youth in Collected Short Stories from Korea

Works in Korean (Partial) A Descendant of the Hwarang (Hwarangui huye) The Rock (Bawi) Seondo Mountain (Seondosan) Seomun Street (Seomun geori) Portrait of a Shaman (Munyeodo 1936) Loess Valley (Hwangtogi 1939) The Cross of Shaphan (Sabanui sipjaga 1955)