Hailji (South Korea)

Haïlji (Rim Jong Joo) was born in 1955 in Kyungju, South Korea. He studied creative writing at Seoul Chungang University, received an MA in French literature at Poitiers University, and a PhD at Limoges University in France. He is a professor at Seoul Donduk Women's University and teaches creative writing. His first novel, On The Road To The Racetrack, published in 1990, was well-received by the critics and public. He also has published 13 novels, a book on the theory of literature, two poetry books (one in English, another one in French), a filmscript, a theater piece, and a book of short stories. Two of his novels were adapted for filmscripts and produced; one was adapted for a theater play. In 2013, his novel, The Republic of Užupis, was published by the Lithuanian Writers' Union Publishing House.