Heinz Insu Fenkl

Heinz Insu Fenkl is a Korean-born novelist, translator, and editor whose work spans fiction, translation, and academic scholarship. His autobiographical novel, "Memories of My Ghost Brother," earned critical acclaim as a Barnes & Noble "Discover Great New Writers" selection in 1996 and a PEN/Hemingway Award finalist in 1997. Fenkl's short story "Five Arrows" and his translations of Yi Mun-yol's "An Anonymous Island" and Lee Chang-dong's "Snowy Day" have appeared in "The New Yorker", marking significant milestones for Korean literature in international publications. His most recent novel, "Skull Water," was published in 2023 by Spiegel & Grau.

Fenkl is also a distinguished translator, notably bringing classical Korean literature to global audiences. His 2019 translation of Kim Man-jung's 17th-century Buddhist novel "The Nine Cloud Dream" was published by Penguin Classics, further cementing his reputation as a bridge between Korean and Western literary traditions. As a scholar, he served as guest editor for the North Korea-focused special section of Harvard's journal "AZALEA" and directs the Interstitial Studies Institute at SUNY New Paltz, where he teaches Creative Writing and Asian Studies. His multifaceted career reflects a deep engagement with Korean cultural heritage and its contemporary literary expressions.