Contributors

Luke Fischer is a poet and scholar. His poems and translations have appeared in Meanjin, Antipodes, Snorkel, Agenda, Staple and ISLE. He has published articles on literary and philosophical themes. In 2008 he received his PhD from the University of Sydney for his thesis on Rilke and phenomenological philosophy. In 2012 he was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in Humanities at Leuphana Universität, Germany. He recently returned to Sydney. Lutz Näfelt was born in 1980 in Germany and studied German, Musicology, and Philosophy at the University of Tübingen. In 2007-2008, he was a research assistant of Ulrich Raulff for the exhibition Das Geheime Deutschland. Eine Ausgrabung (The Secret Germany: An Excavation), which was on the German poet Stefan George and held at the Literaturmuseum der Moderne (Modern Literature Museum) in Marbach. Lutz Näfelt has published poetry translations in Agenda and Staple and articles in Marbacher Magazin 121 (2008) and in Stefan George und sein Kreis. Ein Handbuch (2012).

HWANG Tong gyu (b. 1938) was born in Seoul, studied and taught English Literature at Seoul National University. His poetry collections include A Clear Day (1961), Snow Falling in Samnam (1975), When I See a Wheel, I Want to Make It Roll (1978), A Journey to Morundae (1991), Wind Burial (1995), A Love Song, Berkeley Style (2000), There Was the Moments When I Depended on Coincidence (2003), Silence of Flowers (2006) and 00:05, Winter Night (2009). He is the recipient of numerous honors, including Korean Literature Award (1980), Isan Literature Prize (1991), and Midang Literature Prize (2002), etc. His poetry, describing new awareness attained in the process of continual opening to the outer world and sincere conversation with the self, has always invited readers to participate in the process of awakening.

JIN Eun-young (b. 1970) majored in philosophy at Ewha Womans University and Graduate School, receiving her Ph. D for her research on Nietzsche. Her poetry collections include Dictionary with Seven Words (2003) and Every day, We (2008). For her, writing poetry proves the most agreeable method of communicating and exchanging with the world. Perhaps her writing activities are, like the waving branches furthest from our reach, nothing but weak, fragile acts. But her poetic and philosophical distance from the center means she is free to come in contact with other beings and objects. For her, poetry is a surprise created by fingers stretching out to the world rather than to her own body.

KIM Hyesoon (b. 1955) was born in Wooljin, Kyungsang Province and made her literary debut in 1979. She studied Korean Literature at Konkuk University and currently teaches creative writing at Seoul Institute of the Arts. Her poetry collections include From Yet Another Star (1981), My Father’s Scarecrow (1985), Hell in Certain Star (1987), Seoul, My Upanishad (1994), Poor Love Machine (1997), To the Mananger of Calendar Factory (2000), A Cup of Red Mirror (2004) and Your First (2008). Having explored the female body with particular interest, her poetic words go deeper into the world of mundane existence in contemporary Korean society. Freely experimenting poetic forms and words deeply entrenched in female condition of life, the poet invites readers to rethink of the nature of experience in this world. Her collection Mommy Must be a Fountain of Feathers (translated by Don Mee Choi, Action Books, 2008) was recently reviewed in Cordite.

KIM Ki-taek (b. 1957) was born in Anyang and made his literary debut in 1989. His major works include Fetal Sleep (1991), Storm in the Eye of a Needle (1994), Administrative Staff (1999), Ox (2005), and Gum (2009). He won various literary prizes with the poetry books such as Kim Sooyoung Literary Award (1995), Hyundae Literary Award (2000), and also published a few children’s books. In his poetry, the poet has focused on human physicality and the relationship between the body and the violence inflicted upon it. Upon the question ‘why do you write a poem?,’ he answers it is a way of enduring himself, of euduring materialized violence, of enduring everyday’s life.

KIM Kyung Ju (b. 1976) was born in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province and studied Philosophy in Sogang University. He made his literary debut in 2003. His poetry books include I Am a Season that Does not Exist in This World (2006), A Weird Story (2008) and Appeasing the Eyes of Time Difference (2009). As a poet and playwriter, he has experimented and expanded the realm of poetic words in very characteristic, ever-changing modes of writing. As the first to discover the signs and spirit of the times, the poet is expected to evolve to attract the eyes of words and worlds.

KIM Myung-in (b. 1946) was born in Wooljin, Kyungsang Province and studied Korean Literature in Korea University. He made his literary debut in 1973 and his poetry books include Poetry collections Dongducheon (1979), Swanee Faraway (1988), Playing with a Blue Puppy (1994), A Funeral by the Sea (1997), Silence of a Road (1999) and Inflorescence (2009). He has won various literary awards including Sowol Poetry Award, Hyundae Literary Award, Daesan Literary Award, etc, and is currently teaching Creative Writing at Korea University. In his new poetry book, Inflorescence, the poet looks into the life of flower from the seed to blossoming and gazes at the cosmic process of life and death.

Kim Sa-in (b. 1955) was born in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province and studied Korean Literature in Seoul National University. He has published two volumes of poetry, Letter Written at Night (1987) and Quietly Liking (2006). His early poems were marked by the yearning for democracy and justice in the face of social injustice, and his recent poems strive for lyrical depth through compassion and sympathy with the world. He is the recipient of Hyundae Literary Award (2005) and Daesan Literary Award (2006) and now teaches creative writing at Dongduk Women’s University. As for him, writing poetry is to question things tirelessly and the poet is not just a questioner but also the person who tries to answer the questions and put the answers into practice.

KIM So Youn (b. 1967) was born in Kyungju city and studied Korean Literature at Catholic University. She made her literary debut with the poem “We Celebrate” in 1993. Her poetry books include Coming to the Climax (1996), The Fatigue of Light Draws the Night (2006) and A Bone Called Tears (2009). Her other books include a children’s book, The Little Prince at Squid Island (1999), a picture book, Like a Ginko Tree (2004), and an essay book Mind Dictionary (2008). She now runs a library of children’s books, .

Kim Sun-Woo (b. 1970) was born in Kangnung and studied Korean Language Education at Kangnung University. She made her literary debut in 1996 and has been very active in various fields of writing from poetry to essays and fiction. Her works, featuring vital and sexual expression of ecofeminism and yearning for candid, harmonious relations with others, include If My Tongue Refuses to Stay Locked Inside My Mouth (2000), Asleep Under the Peach Blossoms (2003) and Who Fell Asleep Inside My Body (2007), as well as a collection of essays, When the Moon Under the Water Opened (2002), and the novels I Am Dance (2008) and Candle Flower (2010).