The Booker Prize Podcast

A Halloween Special: Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung

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Spooky season is upon us. While the Booker Prizes' archive might not be filled to the rafters with tales of horror, Bora Chung's Cursed Bunny is certainly ghostly and horrifying – a perfect read for this time of year. Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2022, Cursed Bunny, translated from Korean to English by Anton Hur, presents a collection of fantastically surreal stories that address the very real horrors of capitalism and the patriarchy.


In this episode Jo and James talk about:

  • Their own Halloween traditions
  • Bora Chung and her background in writing
  • The unexpected way the book found its way to western readers
  • The stories in this collection, and which are their favourites
  • Their theories on themes throughout the book and what the author is trying to say
  • Whether these tales of terror are going to keep them up at night


    • Reading list:

    • Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur
    • Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree, translated by Daisy Rockwell
    • The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith
    • Hags by Victoria Smith


      • Further viewing:

      • Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, directed by Park Chan-wook
      • Old Boy, directed by Park Chan-wook
      • Lady Vengeance, directed by Park Chan-wook
      • Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho
      • Memories of Murder, directed by Bong Joon-ho


        • A full transcript of the episode is available at our website.


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