Welcome
Nabiwabook strives to bring the best new stories from South Korea to a global audience with a dedicated team of authors, translators, and designers. At Nabiwabook we believe in the transformative power of stories that stick with you. We invite you to browse our books and authors to find your next unforgettable story.
Books
Discover beautiful, complex, and unforgettable stories from South Korea.
Your next favorite read is waiting for you...
Molting
Ji-hye is hunkered down at home over the holiday season, her face swollen and bruised as she recovers from undergoing yet another plastic surgery. When she receives a call that her aunt has died, she braves the blizzard to pay her final respects to the woman who played an integral part in shaping who she is today. As she reunites with her cousin and an old family friend, Ji-hye recounts her relationship with her estranged father and how one devastating moment shattered the peaceful bubble in which she had firmly believed she was ensconced. But, are childhood memories to be trusted? As Ji-hye grapples with her past and the complicated emotional baggage surrounding her relationships with parental figures, she watches a video clip that may just speak more truth than anything she’s ever been told in her life…
The Butterfly Dance
Jung-gon is on cloud nine. Not only has he met his dream girl just a couple months into starting college, but she kisses him after a night out with friends. He is elated—his first kiss ever, with the gorgeous Mijin no less! However, when he runs into her at school the next day, she wants nothing to do with him. Lovesick and desperate, Jung-gon follows his friend Sang-woo to meet his uncle, who claims to have the secret to making anyone fall in love with him. It is an ancient method, mysterious and exacting, but if done just right… Jung-gon just might get everything he has ever dreamed of.This time, when Jung-gon shows up at Mijin’s door, he is confident that he will make her his… no matter the cost.
Waltzing with Mosquitoes
A man and his sidekick, his trusty mosquito swatter. Together they wage battle against the insidious mosquitoes that invade the man’s apartment in the summer months. To the man, a graffiti artist and social activist wanted by the police, the process is just as meaningful as the result. Capturing a mosquito by hand is his way of fighting back against the injustices of the world, against his unfair and suffocating reality.When he finds himself locked in a particularly epic face-off that lasts all throughout the night, through moments of unconsciousness and altercations with his intolerant wife he muses on the nature of art, social resistance, and incurable obsession.
Blurred Lines
A man living a dreary existence finds himself caught between two worlds. In one, he works at a convenience store and steals alcohol to drink alone in his dingy studio apartment. In the other, he strolls through upscale neighborhoods and carries out his most violent whims without consequence or fear.One day, everything changes when two detectives come knocking at his door. They question him regarding a grisly murder that was just committed in his neighborhood, a murder that sounds awfully similar to the one he committed in his dream…Soon the man finds his two worlds colliding, the lines between reality and dream blurring beyond recognition.
The Governor's Case File
On a peaceful spring day, the young governor is looking forward to a leisurely cup of tea when his assistant Lee Bang appears at his door with strange news: all the butterflies have disappeared from the village within a span of just a few days. Determined to get to the bottom of this case, the governor sets out all around town—meeting with a disgruntled farmer with a hatred of caterpillars and a town elder who has been conducting his own informal investigation—asking questions and gathering clues. When Lee Bang witnesses a young boy catching a butterfly the moment it metamorphosizes from a caterpillar, the governor follows the boy deep into the mountains and comes face to face with an unexpected culprit…
Authors
We are pleased to introduce some of our talented authors. Each storyteller has a unique and captivating point of view that has been translated into English from Korean for the first time. Learn more about your favorite author or discover new voices from Nabiwabook.
Youngin Kwon
Jabi Kim
Joowook Kim
Eunae Kim
Kwon Park
Youngin Kwon
About the author
She has been in the process of exploring the heart of an individual striving to overcome the wounds left by time.
Stories by Youngin Kwon
Jabi Kim
About the author
This work marks Jabi Kim’s official debut as a short story writer. He is an author living in Korea, eager to craft suspenseful and humorous stories with a uniquely vintage vibe.
Stories by Jabi Kim
Joowook Kim
About the author
He discovered his passion for writing when he turned 40. Since then, he has published the novels Plagiarism and The Sound of the Water Drum as well as the short story collections Minotaur, Skin, Pink Monster, The Sisters Flew Lightly, The Painting Came to Me and Became a Novel, and Movement.
Sixteen years have passed since he started writing with the determination to share his stories with as wide an audience as possible. He will never stop writing, as he enjoys it too much. Life is short, but Art can be immortal.
Stories by Youngin Kwon
Eunae Kim
About the author
Born in October of 1988. Through her writing, she enjoys discovering the bizarre, unexpected elements hiding under the familiar.
Stories by Jabi Kim
Kwon Park
About the author
A self-proclaimed ordinary office worker who writes stories because she appreciates the infinite possibilities words hold. She wishes sincere happiness for all those who read her works.
Stories by Kwon Park
Suyeon Bae
Hyeonji Lee
Ohdee Lee
Youngin Kwon
About the Founder & CEO
Youngin Kwon is not only the founder and CEO of Nabiwabook, but she has also contributed two of her stories as well (Molting and The Merman of H County). She is passionate about giving voices to new authors and allowing them to flourish. She started Nabiwabook Publishing House with the mission to bring the best new voices in South Korea to a global audience so that the whole world could experience their unforgettable stories.
Stories by Youngin Kwon
Sarah K. H. Yoo
About the Translator
Sarah K. H. Yoo is a literary and commercial translator with 20 years of experience and the primary Korean to English translator for Nabiwabook Publishing House. Raised in Colorado, she received her BA in English Literature from Seoul National University. She resides in Korea with her husband and dog.
Connect with Sarah K. H. Yoo
Joe Fitz
About the Designer
Joe Fitz is a professional graphic designer with over 15 years of experience and is the art director for Nabiwabook Publishing House. He has worked for companies like Hasbro and Intelsat and has sold over half a million of his apparel designs worldwide. He resides in Korea with his wife and dog.
Connect with Joe fitz
About Us
When a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis, it sits still for some time, wings outstretched. It does so because it must dry its newly formed wings before it can fly. Hour after hour it sits, preparing its wings. If it is attacked by a predator during this time, the butterfly dies without ever having had a chance to take to the skies. Only those who have endured this period of adversity and uncertainty can flap their wings and begin their ascent.Nabiwabook Publishing House is home to literature that gives readers wings. As our name (“nabi” is the Korean word for butterfly) suggests, our stories represent the unwavering strength and beauty of humanity and strive to instill hope in readers young and old. Further, it is our mission to publish exciting, lyrical, innovative, and thought-provoking works from up-and-coming Korean authors in both the original Korean and translated English to spread Korean literature and culture globally.Our message is loud and clear: even the butterflies with yet damp wings will one day see the end of their waiting and soar high into the sky. There is always hope, no matter how long or difficult the journey. Our books will always be there, giving readers the wings they need to take to the world.
Nabiwabook
Meet Our Team
Connect with Nabiwabook
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