A la découverte de la littérature coréenne

From July 4 to 25, 2026, the Cloître Saint-Louis hosts a library-exhibition dedicated to Korean literature, at the heart of the Avignon Festival.

Located in the gardens of the Festival headquarters, this library-exhibition, designed and organized by the Korean Cultural Center, is part of the celebrations for the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France. It invites visitors to discover the richness and diversity of a literature that has accompanied the major transformations of Korean society for over seventy years.

Nearly 250 books in Korean and French are gathered in a free reading area, offering an exceptional overview of major works of modern and contemporary Korean literature. Through novels, poetry collections, essays, and plays, the exhibition highlights the writers who have given voice to the upheavals of Korean history, from the Liberation of 1945 to the questions of the contemporary world.

The exhibition also offers a journey through Korean literary history, marked by war, the division of the peninsula, years of dictatorship, democratization and profound social changes in the country.

A space is dedicated to the history of Korean theatre, from the traditions of pansori to contemporary trends in stage production. Visitors discover the close links between literature, oral tradition, and the performing arts, echoing the programming of the Avignon Festival, which this year celebrates the Korean language.

A special section pays tribute to Han Kang, the first Asian woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her works, permeated by themes of memory, the body, violence, and resilience, testify to the universal reach of Korean literature today.

The journey continues with a literary exploration of Korea, highlighting different regions of the country and the writers who have given them a unique voice. From Seoul to Jeju, from Gangwon to Jeolla, each territory reveals its own landscape, memory, and sensibility.

Conceived as a place of discovery, encounter, and dialogue, this library invites everyone to freely browse its books, explore new literary horizons, and connect with the great voices of Korea. Between history and creation, memory and imagination, this library-exhibition offers a unique opportunity to discover a literature that, while telling the story of Korea, explores universal and profoundly human questions.