'Our Neighborhood Library' Cha In-pyo: "Initially Refused the Hwang Sun-won Literary Award... Too Many Novelists, Felt It Would Be Impolite"

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Cha In-pyo has transformed into a novelist.

On the afternoon of the 27th, Cha In-pyo held a press conference at an undisclosed location in Jung-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the publication of his novel 'Our Neighborhood Library' (Sayuwa Gonggam).

Regarding the publication process of 'Our Neighborhood Library,' Cha In-pyo stated, "This is my fifth full-length novel since I published my first one in 2009. I wrote this novel over a period of one year and six months, from November 2024 to May 1 this year."

He continued, "Originally, I wanted to tell a story about dragons. It started with a single question. People across time and cultures seem to know a lot about dragons, yet no one has actually seen one. I wanted to write a novel about a being that no one has ever seen but everyone knows."

Cha In-pyo added, "I am grateful to those who selected my book for overseas exchange. I realized that the reason I can write novels again is because there are readers who read my work and provide their own commentaries. Previously, I hadn't thought deeply about readers and only wondered how to write better, but this time I realized that readers are what allow me to write novels. I realized that as long as there are readers, the act of writing never truly ends."

He also added, "I included the process of conveying my heart to readers in this novel."

What kind of motivation did Cha In-pyo gain when writing after receiving the Hwang Sun-won Moon Hak-sang-eul (수상)? He revealed, "At that time, I received a rookie award, but I initially refused it. I felt that accepting it would become a kind of shackle. I started as a celebrity and received far more love than I deserved over half my life. In a situation where many people have been writing novels, I felt it would be too impolite for me to receive an award."

Cha In-pyo said, "The awarding side told me, 'We are not simple people whose evaluation of a work changes depending on who the writer is. This was decided by senior figures.' So I decided to accept the award. After receiving it, I felt my writing seemed childish, but I thought I should write in my own style. Anyway, I am grateful to have received such a good award."

'Our Neighborhood Library' is a full-length novel written by Cha In-pyo after a two-year hiatus. It features a modern author named 'I' who writes novels in a library, a Goguryeo-era painter named 'Beon-gak,' and adopts the genre of 'metafiction,' where the reader intervenes in the novel.

'Our Neighborhood Library' begins with an author writing a novel about the Goguryeo painter Beon-gak every day at a neighborhood library. Beon-gak is a character who refuses to draw anything he has not seen with his own eyes. However, he is forced to paint a portrait of a nobleman using his life as a hostage and finds himself in a situation where he must paint a 'dragon' whose existence has not been confirmed. One day, a 'dragon' appears before the real-life author writing in the library, mocking his desire to become a best-selling author and the limits of creation. The novel also depicts a self-reflective journey on how one can connect with others, such as the readers he meets at the library.

Cha In-pyo previously published the work 'Someday We Will Look at the Same Star,' which gained attention for addressing the issue of comfort women victims of the Japanese military in language accessible to teenagers. That book was selected as a Korean studies textbook at the University of Oxford in the UK, solidifying his position as a writer. His 2022 publication 'Mermaid Hunting' revealed awareness of environmental destruction caused by human greed and selfishness, depicting a mermaid appearing in East Coast legends and humans trying to catch the mermaid to extract oil (fish oil) and achieve immortality. It won the 14th Hwang Sun-won Moon Hak-sang-eul (수상).

Cha In-pyo became a writer starting with his 2009 full-length novel 'Goodbye, Hill.' He has since written 'Their Day,' 'Someday We Will Look at the Same Star,' and others. On this day, he published his new full-length novel 'Our Neighborhood Library.'

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*This content was translated by AI.