This event will take place virtually on Zoom. Click the button above to register.

Join the Transnational Literature Series at Brookline Booksmith for a virtual event with author Bora Chung and translator Anton Hur to discuss and celebrate the release of their new collection of stories, Cursed Bunny. They will be in conversation with writer E.J. Koh.

A stunning, wildly original debut from a rising star of Korean literature—surreal, chilling fables that take on the patriarchy, capitalism, and the reign of big tech with absurdist humor and a (sometimes literal) bite.

From an author never before published in the United States, Cursed Bunny is unique and imaginative, blending horror, sci-fi, fairytales, and speculative fiction into stories that defy categorization. By turns thought-provoking and stomach-turning, here monsters take the shapes of furry woodland creatures and danger lurks in unexpected corners of everyday apartment buildings. But in this unforgettable collection, translated by the acclaimed Anton Hur, Chung’s absurd, haunting universe could be our own, illuminating the ills of contemporary society.

“The Head” follows a woman haunted by her own bodily waste. “The Embodiment” takes us into a dystopian gynecology office where a pregnant woman is told that she must find a father for her baby or face horrific consequences. Another story follows a young monster, forced into underground fight rings without knowing the force of his own power. The titular fable centers on a cursed lamp in the approachable shape of a rabbit, fit for a child’s bedroom but for its sinister capabilities.

No two stories are alike, and readers will be torn whether to race through them or savor Chung’s wit and frenetic energy on every page. Cursed Bunny is a book that screams to be read late into the night and passed on to the nearest set of hands the very next day.

Bora Chung has written three novels and three collections of short stories. She has an MA in Russian and East European area studies from Yale University and a PhD in Slavic literature from Indiana University. She has taught Russian language and literature and science fiction studies at Yonsei University and translates modern literary works from Russian and Polish into Korean.

Anton Hur was born in Stockholm and currently resides in Seoul. A graduate of the Korean University College of Law and Seoul National University Graduate School, he works as a writer and translator and has won PEN translation grants transatlantically and was double-longlisted and shortlisted for the 2022 International Booker Prize.

Moderator E. J. Koh is the author of the memoir The Magical Language of Others, Washington State Book Award Winner, Pacific Northwest Book Award Winner, Association of Asian American Studies Book Award Winner, and PEN Open Book Award Longlist. Koh is also the author of the poetry collection A Lesser Love. She is the co-translator of Yi Won’s poetry collection The World’s Lightest Motorcycle and the librettist for the opera adaptation of Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden supported by Opera America. Koh is the recipient of the 2022 Artistic Achievement Award from the Korean American Coalition. Koh has received fellowships from the American Literary Translators Association, MacDowell, and Kundiman. Her debut novel The Liberators is forthcoming fall 2023.