Korean Cultural Center Los Angeles, led by director Sangwon Jung, successfully hosted a book talk with author Juhea Kim on December 3 at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena for her latest novel, City of Night Birds.

Juhea Kim, who won the 2024 Tolstoy Literary Prize for her debut novel Beasts of a Little Land, attended the event and met with readers. Kim’s win marks another milestone for Korean literature following Han Kang’s recognition as the first Korean and Asian female to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2024.

The book talk took place at Vroman’s Bookstore, Southern California’s oldest and most beloved independent bookstore, known for its 130-year history. During the event, Kim presented City of Night Birds, released on November 26, 2024. The evening included a discussion, a Q&A session, and a book signing, which allowed attendees to engage directly with the author. Katya Apekina moderated the event.

* Juhea Kim is the author of the novel Beasts of a Little Land (Ecco 2021), a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. She earned her BA in Art and Archaeology from Princeton University. Her writing has been published in Granta, Times Literary Supplement, The Independent, Zyzzyva, Guernica, and elsewhere. Kim lives in London and was born in South Korea and raised in Portland, Oregon.

* Katya Apekina is a novelist, screenwriter, and translator. Her new novel, Mother Doll, is out now and has been named Best Book of 2024 by Vogue. Her debut, The Deeper the Water, the Uglier, the Fish, was named the Best Book of 2018 by Kirkus, Buzzfeed, and others and was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize. Katya translated poetry and prose from Russian for Night Wraps the Sky: Writings by and about Mayakovsky (FSG, 2008), short-listed for the Best Translated Book Award. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and dog.