'Novelist' Cha In-pyo Returns with Bold Metafiction After Hwang Sun-won Literary Award "♥Shin Ae-ra Said I Have Great Imagination" [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Cha In-pyo has released his fifth novel. After receiving the Hwang Sun-wonMoon Hak-sang-eul (수상), he returned with the groundbreaking genre novel "Our Neighborhood Library."

Cha In-pyo held a press conference to commemorate the publication of his novel "Our Neighborhood Library" (Sagwa & Gonggam) at an unspecified location in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 27th.

"Our Neighborhood Library" is a full-length novel written by Cha In-pyo after a two-year hiatus. It follows the story of "I," a modern-day author writing a novel in a library, and Beon-gak, a painter from the Goguryeo era, and adopts the genre of "metafiction," where the reader intervenes within 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 paint anything he has not seen directly. However, he is forced to paint a portrait of a nobleman using his life as collateral 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 author writing in the library, mocking the 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 readers met in the library.

This novel poses questions to readers about where fiction ends and reality begins, as the author, the protagonist within the novel, and the readers move between fiction and reality. This genre is rarely found in the Korean literary world and is expected to create significant waves in the literary community.

Cha In-pyo previously published "Someday We Will Look at the Same Star" in 2024, a work that gained attention for addressing the issue of comfort women victims in a language accessible to teenagers through the form of a children's book. That book was selected as a Korean studies textbook at Oxford University in the UK, solidifying his position as an author. His 2022 novel "Mermaid Hunting" revealed awareness of environmental destruction caused by human greed and selfishness, depicting the legend of a mermaid appearing on the east coast and humans trying to catch the mermaid to extract oil (fish oil) and achieve immortality. It won the 14th Hwang Sun-wonMoon Hak-sang-eul (수상).

Cha In-pyo, who has had a hobby of writing and reading since his 20s and has been preparing to be an author for a long time, became a writer starting with his first full-length novel "Goodbye Hill" in 2009. He later wrote "Their Day" and "Someday We Will Look at the Same Star." On this day, he published his new full-length novel "Our Neighborhood Library."

Regarding the publication process of "Our Neighborhood Library," Cha In-pyo said, "After publishing my first novel in 2009, this is my fifth full-length novel. 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 one question. Regardless of time and place, people seem to know a lot about dragons, but no one has actually seen one. No one has ever seen a dragon, yet it is a known existence. I wanted to write a novel about such an existence."

Cha In-pyo said, "I am grateful to those who chose my books as foreign textbooks, but I realized that the reason I can write novels again is because there are readers who read my novels and provide their own commentaries." He added, "In the past, I did not think deeply about readers and only wondered how to write better, but this time I realized that readers are what make me write novels. I thought that as long as there are readers, the act of writing would not end." He also added, "I included the process of conveying my heart to readers in this novel."

When asked what differentiates "Our Neighborhood Library" from Cha In-pyo's previous novels, he stated, "I started writing a novel with a certain theme, and as I thought I should include the process of writing the novel, the form of the novel unintentionally broke away from the classical style." He said, "A critic described my latest novel as a 'meta-novel,' but I did not intend to write a novel that destroys form. As I was writing, my mind wandered elsewhere, and the story changed."

"Our Neighborhood Library" features two eras: Goguryeo and the modern day. Regarding this, Cha In-pyo said, "I did not intend to write about the Goguryeo era from the beginning. I wondered why we know so much about the existence of dragons. I thought our ancestors must have had similar questions and perhaps put answers in folklore or murals, so I looked at many Goguryeo murals."

He continued, "Through Goguryeo murals, I saw dragons painted on the ceiling. I assumed they would not have painted something completely unknown, so I decided to write by imagining myself returning to that time to see it together." He explained, "I visited many book concerts over the past year and a half and saw readers. What they were most curious about was, 'What do you refer to when writing?' I wanted to broadcast how I write in real time, so I decided to have both the Goguryeo era and the modern era appear together."

Regarding his process of writing novels, Cha In-pyo said, "I went through a process of being shocked or experiencing something meaningful in daily life, which led me to realize something myself and motivated me to record it in writing." He shared, "'Goodbye Hill' was written after I felt pain while watching news about a grandmother who was taken as a comfort woman and returned home after 50 years. 'Their Day' was written after people of the same profession passed away sadly in 2017 and 2018. As someone of the same profession, I wondered why I could not treat them more warmly, and I wrote based on that thought."

Cha In-pyo said, "Holding book concerts has had a huge impact on me. Without being in an environment to face the public, I lacked gratitude, but after publishing my book and meeting readers at book concerts, I saw the reality of my readers. Each and every one of them is a precious personality just like me, with joys and sorrows, and I felt they were seeking something through book concerts amidst difficulties. Some shared stories of their battles with illness, and others praised my book. I thought, 'These are the people who made me a novelist.'"

He said, "My wife even asks, 'How is your imagination so good?' After realizing again the existence of readers, I thought that even my imagination must be a trace of the people I have met. I realized that humans are beings that stimulate and influence each other."

What influence do the two fields of actor and novelist have on Cha In-pyo? He said, "Many novelists also work in other fields. I am just doing another job as well. However, I read many scripts, so when I write novels, I try to visualize and think in terms of full shots and explain them. Some people say my novels feel like watching a movie."

What is the motivation for being 'Novelist Cha In-pyo' rather than an actor? He said, "I wrote the novel without knowing if my writing would be read, but I gained strength from the support that accumulated as book reviews piled up. I believe that 'people recognizing each other' is the greatest comfort humans can offer. Thanks to the support of my wife and friends, I was able to write."

Cha In-pyo plans to soon engage in theater activities. He said, "'Dead Poets Society' is having its premiere in Korea, and I am currently in rehearsals. The performance will run for two months starting in July, and this will be my first theater play in my life. I think I have been waiting for this play. I watched this work as a movie 36 years ago, and I still remember the expressions of my mother and younger brother when we left the theater. Each of us was thinking about the question Mr. Keating asked, 'What poem will you write in your life?' Now, after living, I understand. I wanted to convey the meaning I have discovered to young people, so I decided to participate in this play. It has been 33 years since my debut, and my debut work is still 'Love in Your Arms.' I hope a new representative work comes out this time."

When asked about the process of coming up with the title of this novel, "Our Neighborhood Library," Cha In-pyo said, "I spent most of my life in our neighborhood. The main stage of a person's life is our neighborhood. That is why I came up with the title."

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*This content was translated by AI.