★The book was shortlisted for the 56th "the Hankook Ilbo Literary Award" in 2023.

*Hankook Ilbo Literature Prize: Established in 1968, the prize is awarded to the most outstanding Korean novel published in the past year, which can lead the new trend of Korean literature.

The change that a simple penstroke can make, A new collection of novels written by Kwon Yeo-sun, a representative author of Korean literature Kwon Yeo-sun, who has become a trusted name in Korean literature for the beauty of her fluid yet rigorous prose, returns with her first collection of novels after three years, Seasons of Its Own. Kwon Yeo-sun has been writing for more than a quarter of a century since her debut in 1996, and her works have remained the book of their lifetime for many people. In this new collection of novels, Kwon peers into an era, a person – delving deep into the very core of memories, emotions, and relationships. The way of life that emerges from such confrontation is never a pretty one. However, what is clear is that the process will lead us to a place where we desire a rich and vibrant life. “Just how much did I change from the way I was meant to be?” What do I remember, how do I remember, and why do I remember? Kwon Yeo-sun’s deep and persistent questions seek answers to how we came to be the people we are today The Stag Beetle Method and Waltz of Memories, a pair of stories written around the keyword “memory,” embrace Seasons of Its Own by gracing the beginning and the end of the collection respectively. The Stag Beetle Method depicts the surprise and sadness that come from facing the truth that one has been avoiding for a long time, creating a brilliant work that takes Kwon Yeo-sun’s long-standing theme of “memory” a step further. “Jun-hee,” “Bu-young,” “Kyung-ae,” and “Jeong-won” become close friends when they enter college and live in the same boarding house, drinking together and sharing bits of their everyday life. Bu-young, the energetic leader of the group; Kyung-ae, the polite one of regular routines; Jeong-won, the kind and careful one; and Jun-hee, the narrator of the story who loves to drink and have spontaneous adventures, try to meet at least once a month and insist on celebrating one another’s birthdays, even after the years have passed and they all live in different places now. The beautiful circle of friendship is shattered, however, by Jeong-won’s sudden suicide and Kyung-ae’s betrayal.

Kwon Yeo-sun
Kwon Yeo-sun was born in Andong, North Gyeongsang Province, in 1965. She studied Korean literature at Seoul National University, and earned her Ph.D in Korean literature from Inha University. Kwon enjoyed a brilliant literary debut in 1996 when her novel Pureureun teumsae (푸르른 틈새 Niche of Green) was awarded the Sangsang Literary Award. At the time, novels that reflected on the period of the democratization movement in South Korea were prevalent.