(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Ki-hoon = "I am an individualistic person, and I am a person who wants to escape from politics. However, human beings cannot escape history, and they cannot exist as individuals separate from society."
South African writer Damon Galgut (63), winner of the 15th Park Kyung-ni Literary Award, explained why he had no choice but to address social topics such as apartheid in his work at a press conference held at the Korea Press Center in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 28th.
Born in Pretoria, South Africa in 1963, Galgeot has delicately captured the historical reality of South Africa and the lives of individuals living within it.
In particular, he is a writer who has explored the legacy of apartheid, social changes, the guilt and hypocrisy of the white middle class, and the instability of human relationships through sophisticated narrative techniques.
The author evaluated South African society after the abolition of apartheid as 'half a revolution'.
He said, “On the surface, the political system is equal and basic laws for a just society have been established, but if you look behind the scenes, it is a society where inequality and injustice still exist,” and pointed out that if economic inequality is not alleviated, the revolution will inevitably remain incomplete.
Galgeot debuted in 1982 with his first full-length novel, 'A Season Without Sin,' and received global attention when 'The Good Doctor' was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2003.
'The Good Doctor' is set in post-apartheid South Africa and depicts the uncomfortable relationship between two doctors with different personalities working at a remote rural hospital. This work examines social anxiety and the legacy of the past by contrasting optimistic idealism and cynical nihilism.
It is read as a sharp allegory showing the grim reality of South African society, where distrust, discrimination, disillusionment, and helplessness dominate.
Then, in 2021, he won the Booker Prize for his work 'Promise', which depicts political and social changes in South Africa and the story of one family.
The work unfolds around the history of a white family living on the outskirts of Pretoria.
These families promise to give Salome, a black maid, a three-room tin shack in return for her lifetime of work, but the promise is not kept until over 30 years later. Through his work, the author questions racial privilege, historical debt, and the possibility of justice.
However, Galgeul rejects the simple dichotomous scheme of good and evil.
“There are still whites and blacks in South Africa, but there is no dichotomy such that whites are good and blacks are bad, and vice versa,” Galgeul said, adding, “Political ideologies can change, and the line between good and evil is blurred.”
He then explained the ambiguity of morality, saying that he was trying to focus on human nature and morality.
“For example, the white morality that prevailed in South African society in 1963, when I was born, was different in many respects from the morality that was thought of in other countries,” Galgeul said.
He continued, "Even if a person makes a moral choice in everyday life, it may not be completely moral. It may be a choice for self-interest," and added, "These things should be included in the novel."
He also added, “I like characters who raise these kinds of moral issues in novels,” and added, “My role as a writer is to ask questions that give room for thought rather than dealing with good and evil.”
The Park Kyung-ni Literary Award judging panel highly evaluated the literary achievement of deeply exploring the issues of memory, responsibility, and justice that the modern world faces universally, beyond the specific time and space of South Africa.
Galgeot also expressed his thoughts on literature in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).
Galgeul pointed out the limitation, saying, “AI can write genre novels with a schematic structure or plot, but it cannot replace humans in dealing with human nature and inner self.” He also defined a novel as “a work that connects human hearts.”
The Park Kyung-ni Literary Award was established in 2011 to honor the literary spirit of Park Kyung-ni (1926-2008), the author of the epic novel “Land.” It is awarded to a writer who has had a significant impact on the history of world literature while maintaining the original value of literature, and the prize money is 100 million won.
This awards ceremony will be held at Hotel Inter-Burgo Wonju on October 29th at 11:30 am.
