Discovering Korean Literature

From July 4 to 25, 2026, the Cloître Saint-Louis will host a library-exhibition dedicated to Korean literature, at the heart of the Avignon Festival. Set up in the gardens of the Festival’s headquarters, this library-exhibition—conceived and organized by the Korean Cultural Center—is part of the celebrations marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. It invites visitors to discover the richness and diversity of a literary tradition that has accompanied the major transformations of Korean society for more than seventy years. Nearly 250 books in Korean and French are gathered in a free-access reading area, offering an exceptional overview of the major works of modern and contemporary Korean literature. Through novels, poetry collections, essays, and plays, the exhibition highlights the writers who have given voice to the upheavals of Korean history, from the Liberation of 1945 to the challenges of the contemporary world. The exhibition also offers a journey through Korean literary history, marked by war, the division of the peninsula, years of dictatorship, democratization, and the country’s profound social transformations. A section is dedicated to the history of Korean theater, from the traditions of pansori to contemporary trends in theatrical production. Visitors will discover the close ties that bind literature, oral tradition, and the performing arts, echoing the program of the Avignon Festival, which this year is honoring the Korean language. A special section pays tribute to Han Kang, the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her works, which explore themes of memory, the body, violence, and resilience, demonstrate the universal appeal of Korean literature today. The journey continues with a literary tour of Korea, highlighting different regions of the country and the writers who have given them a unique voice. From Seoul to Jeju, from Gangwon to Jeolla, each region reveals its own distinct landscape, memory, and sensibility. Conceived as a space for discovery, encounter, and dialogue, this library invites everyone to freely browse the books, explore new literary horizons, and connect with the great voices of Korea. Straddling history and creativity, memory and imagination, this library-exhibition offers a unique opportunity to discover a literature that, while telling the story of Korea, explores universal and deeply human questions.