Eight novelists and poets from Korea and Canada who wrote for "Remembering a Future Yet to Come," an anthology of short stories that delve into existential questions surrounding diversity, isolation, boundary and inclusion, attend a press conference for the release of book at the Embassy of Canada in Seoul, Oct. 10. Newsis

Publishing a cohesive anthology with authors from diverse backgrounds and genres is always a formidable literary task. The challenge becomes even greater when the writers involved don't share the same language or cultural context.

Yet, that is precisely what has been achieved this month with the release of "Remembering a Future Yet to Come" (tentative English title) — a compelling new collection of short stories penned by eight award-winning authors from Korea and Canada.

What ties together the distinct voices of these novelists and poets — Chung Bora, Yun Ko-eun, Kim Ae-ran, Kim Mella, Yann Martel, Kim Thuy, Jordan Scott and Lisa Bird-Wilson — is their profound exploration of existential questions surrounding diversity, isolation, boundaries and inclusion.

The cover of "Remembering a Future Yet to Come," a collection of short stories penned by eight award-winning authors from Korea and Canada / Courtesy of Minumsa Publishing Group

From the unlikely encounter between a depressed Korean widow contemplating suicide and a female immigrant contractor in Kim Ae-ran's "Like Raindrops" to an Indigenous woman adopted into a white family in Canada grappling with her relationship with an unfaithful partner in Lisa Bird-Wilson's "Where Are You From?", these genre-spanning tales create a rich tapestry of identities and perspectives.

"I thought the project was so interesting because … I haven't seen this kind of exchange and collaboration between two countries like this," Bird-Wilson remarked during a press conference in Seoul, Oct. 10.

As an author who explores what it means to be Indigenous and transracially adopted into a white family, the first thing that came to her mind when she was asked to contribute to the anthology was "all of the Korean adoptees that I've met as a part of my journey as a writer, writing about being adopted and culturally separated from my language, my culture, my homeland."

For Scott, his poem "Purpleraft" — a lyrical tribute to his son Sasha about the world that exists beyond spoken language — was inspired by his encounter with a Korean mother of a child who stutters.

"She talked to me about how she wants to accept him for who he is and how he talks, but also how part of her doesn't want him to stutter," he said.

"As a parent (who struggled with stuttering myself), I remember watching my first son's lips obsessively as he learned to talk, hoping he wouldn't stutter in the same way that his dad does. And that's hard, because stuttering is a big part of who I am and there's a beauty to it, but there's also an incredible difficulty to it."

At the press conference, the authors emphasized the importance of this literary collaboration that transcends geographical boundaries. Their writings not only address experiences of injustice and discrimination but also celebrate joy, love and the spirit of solidarity.

"Regarding the themes of diversity and inclusion [that brought us together], I don't think we can emphasize enough how important they are in literature, art and life," said Kim Mella.

"In today's Korea, we need to continuously discuss, practice and navigate the trial and error of embracing diversity through as many creative mediums as possible."

The anthology, "Remembering a Future Yet to Come," has been released to mark the Year of Cultural Exchanges 2024-2025 between Korea and Canada. This initiative seeks to foster co-creative projects between artists from both countries with a shared commitment to championing diversity.

The English edition of the book is currently in discussion, with plans to publish it in Canada next summer, according to Wow Culture Lab, the cultural organization spearheading the project.