February 13, 2025
SEOUL – The Korean essay “Two Women Living Together” by Kim Ha-na and Hwang Sun-woo has secured significant deals with major overseas publishers, Penguin Random House in the UK and HarperCollins in the US, according to book publisher Storyseller on Tuesday.
Both Penguin Random House’s imprint Doubleday and HarperCollins’ imprint Ecco have signed preemptive contracts with six-figure advances.
The collection of mini-essays about two friends who decide to live together explores themes such as the modern definition of family, housing insecurity, solo dining, access to health care and the challenges faced by women in society.
“After two women and four cats decided to buy a house and live together, all kinds of interesting things started to happen. One of them is that this story will now reach new readers on other continents,” said Kim.
Hwang added, “I hope this story resonates with many women who believe they can choose and shape their own lives.”
It is rare for a Korean essay book to secure such high-profile international deals.
“While such good news has often been seen for Korean novels, it is exceedingly rare in the essay genre. We are thrilled and proud that the book has become a symbol of the free and independent lifestyle and mindset of Korean women,” said the book director Lee Yeon-sil.
The book, translated by Gene Png, will be released in the UK on Oct. 9.