Bloomsbury signs Bo-Reum’s bestseller on ‘healing magic’ of books

Bloomsbury has signed Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, the “word-of-mouth” Korean bestseller from Hwang Bo-Reum. 

Emma Herdman, publishing director, acquired world English rights, including audio, from Joy Lee at BC Agency on behalf of the Korean publisher, Clay House. The novel will be published in autumn 2023 with Shanna Tan translating. 

“We are so excited to welcome English readers to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop. Books are windows to the world, bringing us warmth and comfort,” said Lee. “Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is a must-read for all book lovers.”

The synopsis reads: “Yeong-ju is burned out. She leaves behind her old life – quits her high-flying career and divorces her husband – and opens a bookshop in a quaint residential neighbourhood in Seoul. Surrounded by books, she finds new meaning in life as the bookshop morphs into an inviting space for hurt and lost souls to rest, heal and learn about what is truly important in life.” 

Pitched as a “slice of life novel”, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is about finding acceptance and comfort “with a good dose of the healing power of books”. The novel has sold more than 110,000 copies in Korea in five months, according to the publisher. 

Herdman said: “Through Yeong-ju and the community she builds through her shop, Hwang Bo-Reum has captured the specific, healing magic of a good bookshop, and Shanna’s deft translation has made that magic accessible to an English-language audience.”

Bo-Reum added: “I am delighted that Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is coming out in English. May more readers find comfort in this small independent bookshop from Seoul.”