Call for papers: Korean Picture Books since the 1970s
Strenæ n°26, 2025: Korean Picture Books since the 1970s. Dir. Dr Sungyup Lee (Ewha Womans University). Deadline for abstract submission : June, 30, 2024.
In 1988, an unforgettable book was published, making history in the Korean picture book scene. The book, titled 백두산 이야기 ([Baekdusan Iyagi], The Story of Mount Baekdu), is considered the first Korean picture book to be sold individually (Lee, 2022). From the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, illustrated poetry compilations, such as 우리들 노래 ([Urideul norae], Our Songs, 1947), prefigured the emergence of picture books (Cho, 2006; Jeong, Park, 2013). However, until the 1960s and 1970s, they were almost exclusively collections of picture books, standardized in a format and sold only in sets through installment plans. The majority of these collections sourced their texts from traditional folk tales, whereas others consisted of unauthorized translations of foreign picture books. In the late 1970s, recognizing the significant gap between Korean and foreign books, the Dongwha publishing house released 그림나라 100 ([Grimnara100], Land of Images 100), a collection distinguished by the fact that each book was an original work rather than a reproduction of a folk tale (Cho, 2019; Ro, 2018). A decade later, 백두산 이야기 ([Baekdusan Iyagi], The Story of Mount Baekdu) ushered in the era of individual picture books, not confined to a collection, showcasing the unique originality and creativity of each artist.
Since the 1990s, there has been a significant increase in the publication of individual picture books, with the number of titles escalating to 445 in 2019 from just one in 1988 (Kim, J.-S., 2022). Simultaneously, Korean picture books have been evolving in both artistic and literary dimensions. This quantitative and qualitative transformation can be ascribed to various factors. Economic advancement in South Korea has facilitated the growth and strengthening of the middle class, thereby fostering potential purchasing capacity for children’s books. What’s more, as the young people who took part in the pro-democracy protests of the 1980s became parents in the following decade, they realized that reading was an essential means of cultivating their children’s critical faculties and ensuring their success at school. Some of them even founded an association to promote reading for children (Cho, 2006). Changes in publication laws have also contributed to the development of Korean picture books. In 1987, South Korea became a member of the Universal Copyright Convention, which led to a change in the publishing landscape. The prohibition of unauthorized translations prompted Korean publishers to redirect their focus towards the creation of their own picture books and a discerning selection of foreign titles. Notably, works such as Uk-bae Lee’s Sori’s Harvest Moon Day: A Story of Korea (1995 [1999])1 and Yoon-duck Kwon’s 만희네 집 ([Manheene jip], Manhee’s House, 1995) emerged within this context.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Korean picture books have increasingly been in the international limelight (Kwon, 2021). In 2004, Korean works achieved notable success by clinching awards at the Ragazzi Awards in Bologna for the first time – including 팥죽 할멈과 호랑이 ([Patjuk halmeomgwa horangi], The Red Bean Porridge Granny and the Tiger, authored by Ho-sang Cho and illustrated by Mi-sook Yoon) in the fiction category, and Dong-Jun Shin’s 지하철은 달려온다 ([Jihacheleun dalryeonda], The Subway Rushes) in the non-fiction category. Subsequently, Korean artists and their works have consistently stood out as distinguished recipients of children’s book awards. In 2020, Heena Baek, acclaimed author and illustrator of Magic Candies (2021), was honored with the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Two years later, Suzy Lee, an author and illustrator renowned for narratives predominantly conveyed through images, was bestowed with the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award. Throughout the last three decades, Korean picture books have gained worldwide recognition for the diversity and originality of their graphics, media, and stories. Moreover, they aspire to establish themselves as a distinct literary and artistic genre.
In South Korea, research on the picture books was underdeveloped in the 1980s; studies in this field began in earnest in the following decade, aligning with the emergence of genuine Korean picture books (Kim, J.-S., 2022; Kim, H. J., 2022). The research encompasses both Korean and foreign picture books. Nevertheless, Korean artists and their works have received scant attention in academic studies conducted in English or French. Consequently, we encourage contributors to submit their proposals for articles. Research may explore, without being limited to, the following themes:
– Analysis of Korean picture books, including examination of their style, format, illustrations, narrative, themes, and more
– Reception of Korean picture books by Korean and foreign readers
– Korean picture books intended for cross-generational readership (targeting both children and adult audiences)
– Illustrations inspired by Korean traditional folk tales, balancing tradition and innovation
– Sources of inspiration for illustrations
– The use of picture books in kindergarten and primary school settings in South Korea
– The role of libraries in primary schools or specialized youth libraries in South Korea
– Case studies on spaces or facilities specifically created for children’s literature
– Case studies on publishers or collections
– The socio-cultural contexts influencing the production and evolution of Korean picture books
– The global dissemination of Korean picture books
– Translation of picture books to or from Korean
– Disruptions, continuities, and shifts in the forms of Korean picture books since the 1990s
Proposals (up to 500 words) in French or English should be submitted by June 30, 2024, to the Strenæ journal at strenaerevue@gmail.com, accompanied by a brief biography and bibliography.
The editorial board of the journal will review these proposals. Authors will be promptly notified of the acceptance or rejection of their submissions. Complete articles (up to 30,000 characters, including spaces) must be submitted by December 1, 2024, and can be written in English or French. The publication is scheduled for the first half of 2025.
Bibliography
Picture books
For books not published in English or French, their titles translated into these languages are enclosed in square brackets.
류재수, 『백두산 이야기』, 통나무, 1988 (개정신판, 보림 출판사, 2009); RYU, Jae-Soo, [L’histoire du mont Baekdu], Tongnamu, 1988 (Borim, 2009 pour la réédition); [The Story of Baekdu Mountain], Tongnamu, 1988 (Borim, 2009 for the republication).
이억배, 『솔이의 추석 이야기』, 길벗어린이, 1995; LEE, Uk-bae, Sori et la lune d’automne, trad. par Noëlle Kim, Syros, 2007; Sori’s Harvest Moon Day: A Story of Korea, trans. by Ok-Pae Yi, Soundprints, 1999.
권윤덕, 『만희네 집』, 길벗, 1995; KWON, Yoon-duck, La maison en Corée, Sorbier, 2008; [Manhee’s House], Gilbut Publishing House, 1995
조호상, 윤미숙, 『팥죽 할멈과 호랑이』, 웅진씽크빅, 2004; CHO, Ho-sang, YOON, Mi-sook, [La vieille dame à la bouillie de haricots rouges et le tigre], Woongjin, 2004; [The Red Bean Porridge Grandma and the Tiger], Woongjin, 2004.
신동준, 『지하철은 달려온다』, 초방책방, 2003; SHIN, Dong-Jun, Ticket Ville, Mijade, 2006; [Subway Rushes], Chobang, 2003.
Compilations
『우리들 노래』, 조선아동문화협회, 1947; [Nos chansons], Association culturelle pour les enfants de Joseon, 1947; [Our Song], Cultural Association for the Children of Joseon, 1947.
Collections
『그림나라 100』, 동화출판사, 1981-1989; [Pays d’images 100], Donghwa Publishing, 1981-1989; [Land of Images 100], Donghwa Publishing, 1981-1989.
Bibliography
Titles marked with an asterisk indicate Korean publications, with English abstracts accessible.
*CHO, Eun Suk, « The History of Development for Korean Picture Books », Journal of Children’s Literature and Education, 7(2), 2006, 113-151.
*CHO, Seongsun, Study on Development Process of Korean Picture Books: Focused on Process of Change from Drawing to Picture Books, PhD thesis, Inha University (Incheon, Corée du Sud), 2019.
DEVILLON, Carine, « Des enfants dans Séoul, ou le spectre de la ville dans les albums coréens », Strenæ, 23, 2024. https://doi.org/10.4000/strenae.10345
*HEO, Jina. MOON, Chul, « The Korean Image Signified in the Illustration of the Korean Picture Book », Journal of Basic Design & Art, Vol. 11, No. 3, 2010, 537-548.
*JEONG, Jinheo. PARK, Hyesook, « A Study of Picture Book Perception and Their Formation Process: Focusing on the Period Before 1945 », Children’s Literature and Translation, 26, 2013, 291-315.
*KIM, Hyun Ju, Analysis of Trends in Research on Master’s and Doctoral Degree Papers Related to Picture Books in Korea: Focusing on the Thesis of Master’s and Doctoral Degree Papers in Korea from 1983 to 2020, master’s thesis, Sungkyunkwan University (Séoul, Corée du Sud), 2022.
*KIM, Jong-Sung, « An Analysis of Trends in Research Papers Related to Picture Books:
Focusing on Papers in Domestic Academic Journals », Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society, Vol. 53, No. 2, 2022, 189-214.
*KWON, Hye Kyung, A Study on the Creative Features of Korean Picturebooks: Focusing on Titles That Were Recognized Overseas in the 2000s, Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Dankook University (Séoul, Corée du Sud), 2021.
*LEE, Jeongho, « A Study on the Completion of the Narrative of Picture Books ― on the Three Editions of The Story of Baekdu Mountain », The Journal of Korea Culture Technology, 33(2), 2022, 7-40.
*RO, Hye-jin, « The Narrative Process in 1980s Korean Creative Picture Books: Focusing on GRIMNARA100 », Journal of children’s literature studies, 35, 2018, 121-148.
OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
C.Noûs (12 avril 2024). Call for papers: Korean Picture Books since the 1970s. Le magasin des enfants. Consulté le 12 février 2025 à l’adresse https://doi.org/10.58079/w79f