Welcome to a glimpse into the back burners of my mind, where ideas may or may not materialize, depending on the circumstances that would either allow or hinder them!
One dream of mine is to translate Haitian literature into my native language, Korean. This vision has lingered with me for some time—a quiet thought that emerged while I was working on topics relating to Haiti in an Anglophone academic setting.
For a long time, I envisioned starting with Frankétienne's two seminal novels, Mûr à crever and Ultravocal (tentatively titled 터지도록 무르익은 and 울트라보컬 in Korean). These works seemed ideal for such an endeavor, as they explore the themes of fractured language and identity, as well as the enduring shadows cast by past dictatorships and colonial legacies—themes I believe would resonate very well with Korean readers.
I anticipated that translating these works could reveal unexpected affinities between Haitian and Korean literature. Frankétienne’s writings, though rooted in Haiti’s unique history, would reveal resemblances and surprising parallels in the trajectories of these two countries.
But the reality is more complicated. The current state of the Korean publishing industry is largely focused on exporting Korean literature rather than importing foreign novels for a domestic readership. On top of that, Gallimard, the Parisian publishing house that now holds the translation rights to most of Frankétienne’s books, has proven unsupportive of independent ventures like this one.
In light of these challenges, I’ve considered creating a website—tentatively named Haïti en Corée—to bridge this gap. The idea would be to showcase small passages from Haitian literature in Korean translation, updated daily, offering glimpses into the richness of this alien yet kindred literary world.
Whether or not this project will come to fruition will depend entirely on the time and resources I dedicate to it.