KSI Korean Cultural Center in Nigeria held a book club gathering on July 28 to discuss Shoko’s Smile, a short story collection by author Choi Eun-young. Shoko’s Smile is both a collection of seven short and medium-length stories and the title story, which follows two characters of different nationalities and languages as they meet and pass through the threshold of growth. The book club was open to anyone interested in Korean literature, bringing together Korean literature lovers of diverse ages and backgrounds to freely share their thoughts on the characters and themes in the work.

The first book club meeting, held on June 30, took the form of a reading and discussion of Han Kang’s The Vegetarian. For the second meeting, Shoko’s Smile was selected in consideration of both the work’s literary quality and themes that Nigerian readers could relate to, such as friendship and communication. Before the full discussion began, time was set aside to introduce the work so that participants could approach it more comfortably.

Book Coordinator Habiba Sharon, who planned and led the book club, has been interested in Korean literature since last year. However, because Korean books are not easy to find in local bookstores, she directly proposed the book club to the Korean Cultural Center in Nigeria.

Even participants who had not finished reading the book were able to join the conversation naturally, sharing a range of views on the characters and relationships in the stories. Discussions about the work led to participants’ own experiences and thoughts, expanding into conversations that helped them understand different lives and perspectives.

This meeting became even richer with the participation of Latifat Oseni, a freelance writer based in Nigeria. Latifat first became connected to the Korean Cultural Center in Nigeria through taekwondo classes, and she joined this gathering because she has long been interested in Korean literature. In particular, the discussion centered on Xin Chao, Xin Chao, a story about a Korean family and a Vietnamese family who meet in Germany.

Latifat compared the relationships among the characters in Xin Chao, Xin Chao to relationships between West Africans and East Africans who meet overseas. Other participants also related to her observation that even people from different countries can feel a sense of connection and closeness simply because they come from the same continent.

“Although these are stories about Korean people, themes such as friendship and communication are ones we can fully understand and discuss together. I will continue working to make the book club a meaningful time for everyone.”
- Book Coordinator Habiba Sharon

“From the beginning, it felt as if I were talking with friends. I believe themes such as relationships, family, migration, loss, and identity are not limited to any one country; they are something everyone can relate to.”
- Latifat Oseni, freelance writer

Article by Eman Elashker, Correspondent at Online KSI Egypt