In 'Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop', Hwang explores the healing power of books, safe spaces, and found family, reminding readers it’s okay to start over in an overwhelming world. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
Why do we read? For some, reading is a temporary escape from the real world. For others, it’s the endless pursuit of knowledge – be it to improve themselves or to better understand the world.
For South Korean author Hwang Bo-reum, 43, who penned the heartfelt debut novel Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop, reading is a form of comfort, like a warm, reassuring hug or an intimate heart-to-heart with loved ones.
During a challenging time in Hwang’s life, it was a bookstore that became her safe harbour.
“Before I became an author, I worked near Gangnam station in Seoul. At lunchtime, I would take a quick lunch, then I would pop over to the bookstore nearby and spend 30 to 40 minutes just browsing around and reading books. I went there every day,” says Hwang during an interview at Tsutaya Books Bukit Jalil, one of the stops in her recent Malaysia tour.
“At the time, I was having a difficult time at work, so for me, the bookstore was a comfortable space, a space where I could find myself again,” she adds.
In Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop, Hwang touches on the healing power of books, safe spaces, and found family, reminding readers that in a world that can be overwhelming and exhausting, it’s okay to take a rest and start over again. (In fact, Hwang named the fictional neighbourhood where the bookshop is set using the word “hyu”, meaning “rest”.)
The book’s main character, Yeongju, leaves her old life behind and opens the Hyunam-dong Bookshop after struggling with burnout. As she throws herself into establishing the bookshop’s place within the community, an engaging cast of characters come together, such as Minjun, the bookshop’s barista who’s tired and jaded from his never-ending hunt for a “proper” job; the mysterious Jungsuh, who comes to the bookshop every day, quietly knitting for hours on end; and Mincheol, a disinterested high schooler who’s yet to find his spark for life.
Hwang signing her book at Tsutaya Books Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur last month. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
Like Hwang, who felt unfulfilled in her job as a software engineer before embarking on her writing career, each character finds refuge in the bookshop, and as readers follow the characters’ journeys in self-discovery, they too, feel like a part of them is healing.
A positive influence
Published in 2022, over 200,000 copies of the book have been sold in South Korea and it has even been adapted into an audio play, while the English translation was released by Bloomsbury in 2023.
In Malaysia, it has been translated into Bahasa Malaysia as Selamat Datang Ke Kedai Buku Hyunam-Dong and released by K-Lit Plus, a Karangkraf imprint.
“‘I was comforted by the book’, ‘I liked the book because it was so warm’, ‘Through this book, I was able to comfort myself and be positive’ – there’s been a lot of reviews like that,” shares Hwang.
But one of the most touching reader reviews she’s received was from a Korean mother who came for one of Hwang’s book talks.
“She told me that her son, who’s in secondary school, was suffering from lethargy, much like Mincheol in the book. But one day, he came up to her and said that he had read my book, asking her to read it as well.
“After he read the book, she noticed that her son began to wake up and fold his blanket on his own initiative, despite his lethargy. It might seem like a small change, but she said that for her, it meant a lot,” says Hwang.
According to the author, most readers in South Korea tend to visit the big chain bookshops or buy their books online.
Hwang's debut novel 'Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop', originally released in 2022, has become an international favourite. Photo: Handout
“Not many people go to independent bookshops, so bookshop owners have to work very hard to attract customers, much like Yeongju had to. But I’ve heard that after reading my book, more and more people have been curious to check out the indie bookshops near them, be it to attend book talks or to buy books, and I think that’s really great,” she says.
Imaginary scenarios
It’s easy to see parallels between Hwang and Yeongju – they both prefer fiction novels to non-fiction and enjoy reading works from international authors. So has Hwang herself ever dreamt of opening up her own neighbourhood bookshop?
“I get asked this question a lot, but no, I’m not as sociable as Yeongju, who can greet and talk to the customers who come to the bookshop,” she admits.
That doesn’t mean she hasn’t imagined it, though.
“If I were rich, I’d buy a building and open a cafe on the first floor, a bookstore on the second floor, and an event space on the third floor. Like Yeongju, I would want to treat my staff really well and give them a good salary. I’d also like to give freebies to the customers.
“I probably won’t make much money with this shop, I may actually make a loss instead, but in this scenario, I already have a lot of money, so it’s okay,” she says, jokingly.
Another imaginary scenario we discussed was which actors she would like to play the characters should the book ever be made into a show or drama.
Hwang was in Kuala Lumpur for a bookshop tour in July. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
“This is more of what I imagined when I was writing the book, but I didn’t really have anyone in mind for Yeongju. For Minjun, I thought of Nam Joohyuk, and for Seungwoo, it was Kim Seonho. As for Jungsuh, the character who loves to crochet and knit, I was thinking of someone like Jun Jongseo.
“Kim Seonho and Jun Jongseo were relatively new to the scene back then – this was before Hometown Cha Cha Cha and Ballerina,” says Hwang.
Make time for reading
As a reader, Hwang tells us that she tends to read multiple books concurrently and has a neat trick to get as much reading time as she can.
“In my essay collection, I Read Every Day, I talk about how I would keep different books in various corners of my house and read in small pockets of time. For example, when I’m drying my hair, I would read this book, and before I go to sleep, I will read another book.
“I also can’t read without a pencil, because I need to annotate,” she shares.
When asked which books she’s enjoyed reading recently, Hwang says that she likes British author Ian McEwan’s works.
“I read Atonement years ago, and that was the only book I had read by him for quite some time, but this year, I’ve read several of his other books, one after another. I also liked Tomorrow, And Tomorrow, And Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin,” she says.
For Hwang Bo-reum, 43, reading is a form of comfort, like a warm, reassuring hug or an intimate heart-to-heart with loved ones. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon
While she loves reading works from international authors, Hwang also makes it a point to read Korean literature.
“I used to read a lot more international works compared to local works, but for the past couple of years, I’ve focused more on reading Korean authors and Korean literature, so nowadays it’s pretty balanced.
“So for Korean works, I’d recommend Love In The Big City by Sang Young Park. The English translation was longlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize,” says Hwang.
Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop is available in all good bookstores.
