Korean Author Jeong Bora Nominated for Prestigious Philip K. Dick Award

Korean author Jeong Bora (49) expressed her pride upon being nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, one of the top three science fiction literary honors in the world. Known for her short story collection 'Cursed Bunny' which was a finalist for the 2022 International Booker Prize and the 2023 American Book Award in the translation category, Jeong's latest work, 'Your Utopia (너의 유토피아)', published in the U.S. last January, has now been recognized as a nominee for the Philip K. Dick Award. This marks the first time a work by a Korean author has been nominated for such a prestigious science fiction award. Jeong noted that while the science fiction fandom is generally inclusive regarding the author's race or language, it maintains high standards for the works themselves. She expressed her pride in having a piece written in Korean acknowledged by international science fiction readers. The English translation of 'Your Utopia' was done by Anton Hur.

The Philip K. Dick Award, named after the influential American science fiction writer Philip K. Dick (1928–1982), has been awarded annually since 1983, the year following his death. Dick's works have had a significant impact on popular culture, inspiring films such as 'Blade Runner', 'Minority Report', and 'Total Recall'. The award honors outstanding science fiction works published in paperback in the previous year, aiming to highlight books that may be overlooked in the predominantly hardcover-focused English-language publishing market.

'Your Utopia' is a revised edition of Jeong's 2021 work 'Meeting Her', with only the title and order of the included stories changed. The collection features eight short stories, including 'The Immortality Research Institute', 'Your Utopia', 'The End of Travel', and 'A Very Ordinary Marriage'. This announcement comes just ahead of the release of the revised edition on January 15. Jeong expressed her delight at receiving such good news immediately following the release of the Korean edition of 'Your Utopia'. The final results, including the selection of the winner, will be announced in April.