Korean Translated Fiction

AN UPLIFTING AND HEALING BOOK THAT ASKS - WOULD YOU TRADE YOUR LIFE FOR ANOTHER ONE?'A warm and wondrous story [...] Gentle, affirming, and utterly transportive' Julie Long, author of The Teller of Small Fortunes--On the first day of monsoon the old ramshackle building appears – this is The Rainfall Market. Inside: magical bookstores, hairdressers, perfumeries – anything your heart desires. But to enter you need a Ticket. And to get one you must write a letter telling of your misfortune. Lonely schoolgirl Serin dreams of a bigger, better life. And she can’t believe her luck when her letter of woe is answered with a Ticket. Accompanied by Isha the cat, Serin enters Rainfall Market. She has just two weeks to choose a perfect life in exchange for her misfortunes. But there is a catch. If she doesn’t find the dream life she seeks, she’ll be trapped here forever . . .----Readers are loving The Rainfall Market ‘Hooked in an instant’ 5 ***** Reader Review 'The literary equivalent of wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket. I loved every minute of it’ 5 ***** Reader Review ‘Cool story, cute characters’ 5 ***** Reader Review ‘I loved this! It's lovely and sweet and has a wonderful message’ 5 ***** Reader Review

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A heart warming and irresistible novel about the rejuvenating power of pottery, for fans of Before The Coffee Gets Cold and What You Are Looking For Is In The Library. She rubbed the spoiled clay with her fingertips. Like a wound as it heals, the traces faded, and had soon vanished completely, as if they’d never been there at all. Burnt out by her newswriting job, Jungmin abruptly quits; she’s worked tirelessly for years and she needs to make a change. Now, after months of hibernation, it’s time to put her life back together. Venturing out into the streets near Seoul, she stumbles upon the Soyo pottery workshop. Drawn in by its light and warmth, and the smell of clay and coffee, Jungmin feels something unfurl within her…Here, everyone has a story to share, and as the seasons change, Jungmin returns to herself. Pot by pot, plate by plate, Jungmin discovers that as her hands become busier, her mind becomes calmer, and her heart opens up like never before. From a rising talent, this is an uplifting story of new friends and old practices, of finding community, and of what happens when you finally slow down in this fast-paced world.

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THE KOREAN SENSATION For lovers of The Midnight Library and Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, discover a spellbinding novel about a mysterious bookshop that exists outside of time and space, where the past is only a page away… *** If you're lost, you'll find The Memory Bookshop Where the shelves are endless. The books, strangely familiar. And where memories are bound in pages. When Jiwon cautiously crosses the threshold, she's met by Manager K and offered no explanation, only a mysterious hourglass and a rare opportunity: to travel back to three chapters of her life. But returning to the past isn't without risk. In exchange, Jiwon has to give up time in her future. As she wanders between the shelves, the bookshop humming with memories and regrets, she must ask herself: can the past truly be rewritten? Or does the real magic lie in the life she's yet to live? Warm, wise and full of wonder, The Memory Bookshop is a story about the power of books to carry us home. Step inside the bookshop… Available to pre-order now.

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A dessert from the Hwawoldang is a ticket to a new life . . . 'I adored this book . . rich, emotional and engaging' ***** Reader Review 'Amazingly beautiful and just what I needed at this point in my life' ***** Reader Review 'Heart-warming and full of gratitude and happiness. I loved it. And the Korean pastries all sounded delicious' ** Reader Review Welcome to Hwawoldang, the pastry shop where every delicious bite comes with satisfaction for both the mouth and the soul . . .When twenty-seven-year-old Yeon-hwa loses her grandmother, the proprietor of Hwawoldang, she honours her final wish: to keep the shop open for one more month, between 10pm and midnight. Yeon-hwa hopes to learn the secrets behind Hwawoldang’s desserts, and the enigmatic woman who made them.But when one of the shop’s most loyal patrons arrives, Yeon-hwa quickly discovers Hwawoldang is no ordinary pastry shop, as its customers are not entirely alive . . .With each new visitor, Yeon-hwa is drawn deep into their memories. The true calling of the pastry shop is to shepherd her customers into the afterlife, but can Yeon-hwa continue her grandmother’s legacy? And will the task bring her closer to the woman she barely knew?Evocative, nourishing and cosy, A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang is an ode to lost souls finding home, in this life and beyond.

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What if you could turn the pages of your own life, like the pages of your favourite book?Step into the magical and uplifting world of THE MOON GLOW BOOKSHOP - the Korean sensation for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and DallerGut Dream Department Store Hidden down a quiet alley, glowing softly under moonlight, there is a bar like no other. This otherworldly venue is manned by Mun, a quiet bartender with a knowing gaze and a mysterious past. He serves not just drinks, but moments. Hand-crafted cocktails that shimmer with stardust and emotion; each one a reflection of your own life: your hidden dreams and your forgotten joys.Long ago, Mun was the guardian at a magical library where every book held the story of a person's life story. Due to his beliefs that those stories belonged not on dusty shelves but in people's hearts, Mun was cast out and shunned. He found hope in the most unexpected person - Bo-reum, a magical Moon Rabbit who gave him an enchanted recipe that could turn memories into magic. Now, in every glass he serves, there is a chance to remember, to understand and to heal.Sit down and feel your story unfold.Sometimes, the smallest sip can change everything.Your drink is ready. What will your heart choose?** Translated from the Korean by Shanna Tan **

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The NEXT irresistibly uplifting read for fans of BEFORE THE COFFEE GETS COLD set in a magical laundry The #1 International word-of-mouth bestseller Heartwarming and inspirational, MARIGOLD MIND LAUNDRY will remind you there is always a reason to feel positive 'A life-changing novel' ***** reader review 'A book that makes me reflect on my life' *****'Even better when you read it with a loved one' **'I took leave from work because I needed to finish it in one sitting' ** We will wash away your pain and iron away any creases in your heart. Overnight, in the village of Marigold on top of a hill, old Jieun has conjured up a magical Mind Laundry, where she cleanses painful experiences from her customer's hearts, transferring them into stains on a T-shirt and transforming them into dazzling red petals. We meet five of Jieun's customers to her laundry: a frustrated young filmmaker; a tortured social-media influencer; a distraught mother who has discovered her husband’s other family; a young woman two-timed by her lover, and Yeonghui, a victim of bullying, who works as a delivery man to escape his pain in routine. After washing away their pain and ironing out their creases, Jieun discovers an astonishing revelation about memory, pain and moving on. As we laugh, wonder and grow with the vivid characters in this book, MARIGOLD MIND LAUNDRY shows how we too can tap into the positivity and magic that lies in us all. Which bad memories would you like to wash away? NOW A #1 STRAITS TIMES BESTSELLER, SINGAPORE Translated by Shanna Tan, award-winning translator of WELCOME TO THE HYUNAM-DONG BOOKSHOP

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Welcome to Soyangri Book Kitchen, where a woman leaves her busy life in Seoul to open a bookshop café in the countryside where guests can stay overnight. The irresistible, escapist and cosy read to curl up with this autumn, for fans of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop. Readers love it: ‘A heartwarming and soothing journey’ *****‘One of the best books I’ve read in a while… A beautiful book’ *****‘A must read for anyone at a crossroads in their life’ *****‘This book held my heart… profoundly deep and inspiring’ *****‘Perfect for fans of cosy fiction with heart and delicious detail’ *****In a peaceful village in the countryside, far from the bustling heart of Seoul, lies a book lovers’ paradise. With its wafts of delicious food and book-filled shelves, Soyangri Book Kitchen is managed by its plucky proprietor Yoojin. Her aim? To create a sanctuary for weary souls like herself. But the book kitchen is more than just a place to eat or read – it’s a place which offers its guests a true escape, not just inside the pages of its many books, but in the warm embrace of an overnight bookstay. Over one year, seven people at a crossroads in their lives find their way to Yoojin’s book kitchen. Among them are Da-in, a singer grappling with an identity crisis, Sohee, a promising lawyer confronted with a daunting medical diagnosis, and Soohyuk, a young musical director whose dreams have been stifled. As they arrive in Soyangri, each of them will find their life subtly transformed by the magic of its books and the kindness of its people.

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'Readers can't get enough of this enchanting story' The Sun 'A delightful journey into a fantasy realm where dreams make everything better' Daily Mail 'Hugely inventive and wise, we adored this heart-lifting adventure' Heat Magazine|| THE NO.1 KOREAN BESTSELLER WITH OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD || It has been a year since Penny first walked through the doors of DallerGut Dream Department Store, and surviving a year at the store means one thing . . . She is now an official employee of the dream industry! She can finally take the express commuter train to the Company District, where all the dream production companies are located and discover how all raw dream materials and testing equipment are produced.But the Company District is not quite what she expected, it hides the darker underbelly of the magical industry that Penny thought she was a part of. Penny discovers the Civil Complaint Center, full of people filing complaints about their dreams. She also learns about the regular customers who have stopped coming to the store. As she gets to the bottom of each complaint, she begins to expand her horizons, transforming from just selling dreams to understanding what lies in the hearts of their lost regulars. Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store delves deeper into the dream industry and its customers. Why do some of them buy a dream and never return? Will Penny and her colleagues be able to bring their regulars back?** Translated from the Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee **Readers are OBSESSED with this dreamy duology:'I was delighted to discover how Penny had developed' 'Deliciously, quirkily, bonkers... And brilliant!''Just as charming and joyful as the first''The concept, lore & worldbuilding are so unique and well-realised'

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THE HEARTWARMING KOREAN BESTSELLER* A new book from Shanna Tan, translator of Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop* Situated at the heart of a rapidly gentrifying district of Seoul, the Yeonnam-dong Smiley Laundromat is a place where the extraordinary stories of ordinary residents unfold. It is already a haven of tranquility and reflection for locals, but when someone leaves a notebook behind, the laundromat becomes a place that brings people together. One by one, customers start jotting down candid diary entries, opening their hearts and inviting acts of kindness from neighbours who were once just faces in the crowd. But there is more to the diary than first appears, and before long the laundromat's regulars are teaming up to solve a mystery and help the notebook's former owner find peace. A heartwarming, healing debut that instantly captured the hearts of Korean readers, this is a novel about the preciousness of human relationships and the power of solidarity in a world that is increasingly cold, fast-paced and virtual. Readers love this cosy, slice-of-life K-drama: "Talk to someone. Help someone. Do a good deed. If this book doesn't inspire you, nothing will. A true testament to the power of books." "This is a wonderfully comforting read, and one that makes you truly believe in the goodness of others" "Very similar to Before The Coffee Gets Cold or The Kamogawa Food Detectives. So if that's your vibe, you'll enjoy this one too!" Translated from the Korean by Shanna Tan

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