Fall book talks at hotel's in-house cafe

Wansan Library partners on cultural program

Poet Ahn Hee-yeon in September, Muru in October

Writer Shin Yu-jin to moderate discussions

A view of Jeonju Sanchaek, the bookstore and cafe inside Rahan Hotel Jeonju [Rahan Hotel]
A view of Jeonju Sanchaek, the bookstore and cafe inside Rahan Hotel Jeonju [Rahan Hotel]

As the reading season approaches, a new program is bringing together literature and local travel.

Rahan Hotel Jeonju announced Thursday it has partnered with Jeonju's Wansan Library to launch a "Meet the Author" series. The events will be held at Jeonju Sanchaek, the hotel's in-house bookstore and cafe, and will feature author lectures, book talks and signing sessions.

The first event is set for Sept. 10 at 2 p.m. Poet Ahn Hee-yeon will speak on the theme "Moments of finding poetry in everyday life," drawing on her books "Jubneun Sungan" and "Daneo-ui Jip" to walk attendees through how she discovers and records poetic material in daily life. Writer Shin Yu-jin — who has translated more works by 2022 Nobel Literature laureate Annie Ernaux into Korean than any other translator — will moderate the session.

The second event follows on Oct. 6 at 2 p.m. Author Muru, whose full name is Park Seo-young, will share her experiences translating picture books including "Eoddeon Nareun" and "Naui Odumak," as well as writing her essay collection "I Want to Become a Strange and Free Old Woman." She will discuss the behind-the-scenes of translation and publishing, and lead a conversation with readers on how stories can inspire life.

Admission to the "Meet the Author" series is free, and registration is available through the Jeonju Library website. Books by the featured authors will be available for purchase at the venue.

Rahan Hotel operates five properties — in Gyeongju, Jeonju, Ulsan, Mokpo and Pohang — and tailors cultural programming to each location. The bookstore-cafes at its Gyeongju and Jeonju hotels, Gyeongju Sanchaek and Jeonju Sanchaek, sell travel and lifestyle books alongside locally themed goods.

"Amid growing demand from travelers for local cultural experiences that reflect the distinct character of each destination, we put together this program in partnership with a local library to mark the reading season," said Kang Bo-mi, a manager in Rahan Hotel's integrated marketing team. "We hope guests can enjoy a relaxing stay at Rahan Hotel Jeonju while fully immersing themselves in the unique sensibility of Jeonju through books."


terry@heraldcorp.com