Acclaimed Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh, winner of the 14th Park Kyongni Award, has called for literature to move beyond its human-centered focus and begin giving voice to non-human entities as a crucial response to the ongoing climate crisis. Speaking at a press conference in Seoul on Wednesday, Ghosh emphasized that recognizing the agency of non-human beings represents one of the most fundamental challenges facing contemporary literature.
"Throughout the long age of high modernity, literature and the arts became intensely human-centered," Ghosh observed. "Now, I believe, the time has come to step away from that and begin recognizing the world beyond ourselves. This is, to me, a very fundamental challenge today. How do we actually try to recognize the agency of nonhuman entities of many different kinds? And I think it's increasingly recognized across the world that, in confronting our various environmental crises, this is a very important issue."
Regarding the current state of climate change, Ghosh painted a stark picture. "I have to say, the situation looks absolutely disastrous. There's nothing else you can say," he stated. The author emphasized that giving voice to non-humans presents a significant creative challenge for writers. "Not just animals, but also plants," he explained. "It's very interesting to me that Han Kang talks about how she was inspired by the idea of a woman becoming a plant in her book, The Vegetarian."
The Park Kyongni Award, which Ghosh is visiting Korea to receive, is an annual international literary prize established in 2011 to honor the legacy of renowned Korean novelist Pak Kyong-ni (1926-2008). The award recognizes Pak's monumental work "Toji" (The Land), a 16-volume epic saga that chronicles five generations of a wealthy Korean family from South Gyeongsang Province, spanning from the end of the Joseon era (1392-1910) through Japanese occupation to Korean independence.
According to the Toji Cultural Foundation, the literary award aims to recognize novelists worldwide who have significantly influenced the course of literature while preserving its intrinsic value. The prestigious prize includes a certificate of merit, a plaque, and a monetary award of 100 million won (approximately $69,500).
Ghosh revealed that while he was unable to find an English translation of "Toji," he read several of Pak Kyong-ni's short stories and novellas. He found their themes of division particularly compelling because they resonated with his own personal experience. "I come from a part of the world that was also divided," Ghosh explained. "My family is originally from what is now Bangladesh, but I grew up in India. That sense of being taken away from one's homeland, or growing up without that connection, is something I see resonating very much."
Born in Kolkata in 1956, Ghosh made his literary debut with "The Circle of Reason" (1986), a fable-like novel that traces a young man's journey from Bengal to North Africa and the Middle East. The work earned him France's Prix Medicis in 1990, establishing his reputation as a significant literary voice. His subsequent works, including "The Glass Palace" (2000), an epic retelling of South and Southeast Asian history through periods of empire and dictatorship, along with influential nonfiction books such as "The Great Derangement" (2016) and "The Nutmeg's Curse" (2021), have positioned him as one of literature's most eloquent voices on climate change and colonialism.
Another aspect of Pak Kyong-ni's work that particularly struck Ghosh was her attention to dialect. "I grew up speaking a dialect of Bengali, from Bangladesh or East Pakistan as it was then," he said. "And because Bengalis have become great migrants, you can hear this dialect in Venice, in Brooklyn. It's an amazing thing." Currently dividing his time between India and the United States, Ghosh continues to write in English while remaining deeply rooted in Bengali culture, with themes of postcolonial identity and belonging central to his literary work.
Reflecting on the evolution of literary reception, Ghosh recalled early reactions to his books with some irony. "When my books came out in the late 1980s and 1990s, the response in Britain and America was often, 'Oh, these poor writers from the Global South, their lives are so difficult, they must write about politics because they don't have inner lives.'" He noted a significant shift in perspective following recent political developments. "Now I've watched, with some amusement I have to say, how since Trump's election in 2016, suddenly every American writer is writing about politics."
Ghosh emphasized the inherent connection between literature and society, stating, "All writing is rooted in society, so it comes out of society and culture, and inevitably, they inform each other." His visit to Korea will continue with the official award ceremony in Wonju on Thursday, followed by a lecture at Seoul National University on October 27 and a public conversation at Kyobo Book Center in Gwanghwamun on October 28.
