AND was the most purchased book in 2021 and the third best-selling novel ever in Korea. It is now being published in 20 languages.
Mrs. Yeom’s convenience store (Salani Le Stanze) of the South Korean writer and screenwriter Kim Ho-Yeon it brings people’s hearts together: it is a modern fairy tale about good feelings, redemption and that hand, sometimes unexpected, that can change a life.
The story of a homeless man named Dokko
We met the author in Milan, on a promotional tour, in a hotel in the city center, in the middle of fashion week.
“It’s a book about humanity and good hearts that I started writing when the pandemic began,” he begins.
The bestseller tells the story of Dokko, a homeless man addicted to alcohol, who returning a pink wallet to a lady named Yeom, will have a second chance. The woman runs a convenience store and will offer him a job.
It will literally be the beginning of a new life for both of you.
Kim Ho-Yeon: «Convenience stores are meeting places»
What was the inspiration for your book?
In Korea there are many mini-markets. They are open 24 hours a day and are places of continuous exchange. You can buy anything at any time and also meet all kinds of people. They are small neighborhood supermarkets, so I imagined a story inside them.
Is there also something autobiographical in the story?
Absolutely not. Or rather I read up on a friend from university who has this business and I spoke to many of the customers of these places to get a more precise idea. Documentation is important to better represent reality.
How much is fantasy, how much is reality.
It takes a little imagination to write a book! The encounters in these convenience stores are realistic. This is a job much loved by students who can earn some money this way. I wove a few stories together.
Kim Ho-Yeon: «Ideas come to me while walking»
The characters in the book are very detailed.
I like how Ms. Young turned out. She is a respectful, almost ideal person, a sort of “good Samaritan”, with a very strong moral sense. But not even she, after all, is perfect. She does what her heart tells her and, in a society like ours, that’s probably all that matters.
Do Dokka and Mrs. Young reflect Korean society?
They reflect people’s humanity. When you notice a homeless person and help them, you do something real. The characters in the book are from various generations and each generation has its prejudices. The world is very complex, but if we feel like helping someone, we also help ourselves. I believe in miracles. If we are kind, we spread kindness.
What is your working method?
I walk a lot. Stories are born while I walk, if I don’t walk no ideas come to me. I’ve always been a screenwriter. This success changed my life.
South Korea is now very famous for K -pop and Parasite, the Oscar-winning film. Does this background influence you?
It influences you, not us (smiles).
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