Canongate pre-empts a 'charming' book on the art of Korean letter writing

Canongate has pre-empted a "charming" book on the art of Korean letter writing.

Senior commissioning editor Helena Gonda pre-empted world English rights from Lisette Verhagen of Peters Fraser and Dunlop (on behalf of UU Press and in collaboration with Shinwon Agency) to The Healing Power of Korean Letter Writing by Juhee Moon, translated by Clare Richards. US rights have since been sold at auction to Thea Diklich-Newell of Ten Speed Press and Canadian rights to Sue Kuruvilla of Penguin Random House Canada. Rights were also pre-empted in Italy by Mondadori and by Salamandra (PRH) in Spain. All three English-language editions will be released in September 2025.

"Juhee Moon once doubted whether handwritten letters had a place in our ultra-fast-paced world, but the runaway success of her stationer shop Geulwoll, established in 2019, took Seoul by storm and quickly became known as a tranquil place where people can write and send letters, buy gorgeous pens and letter paper and sign up for a distinctive pen pal service: customers can pick up a letter written by an anonymous pen pal—but only if they write one in return," the synopsis says. "Every day Juhee witnessed customers enjoying the rare pleasure of sitting down and putting pen to paper and she wants to share this joy with others in this short but powerful publication."

Moon said: "I’m so grateful and moved that The Healing Power of Korean Letter Writing will be published in English to share the passion for letter writing with people beyond Korea and across the world. I couldn’t thank Canongate enough. It affirms that we share the same appreciation for the uniqueness of heartfelt communication and the slower, more thoughtful way of connecting. I hope this book will enrich the experience of writing letters for my readers there, especially for those curious about ways to connect heart-to-heart."

Richards added: "As a once devoted letter-writer myself, it’s been a revelation to discover a forgotten passion through Moon Juhee’s charming collection. It’s an honour to be working with Helena and the rest of the team at Canongate—I couldn’t imagine a more perfect fit for this book."

Gonda commented: "This is not a prescriptive book on how to write letters well; instead, it shows what happens when you do, the sense of connection it can foster as well as exploring the numerous ways in which letter-writing can make your life more meaningful. With gorgeous illustrative elements and thoughtful design, this will make the perfect gift for readers next autumn."