VOL.70/2024.05

 

Writer Jung Yeong-Wook

May my sentences support your life one day...

 

2024.05.07

 

Sometimes, the empathy and understanding of “I experienced that, too” can be more powerful than words of consolation or encouragement. Perhaps this is why people turn to books when they find it difficult to tell anyone about their troubles. Jung Yeong-Wook, a prolific non-fiction writer, has been showing heartfelt solidarity and great support to readers through his books. As a writer and the head of a publishing company, he says he publishes books with the hope that they will be “a book that is given to you as a gift from someone who cares about you one day.” Writer Jung continues to interact with readers through social media and never stops challenging himself. His determination to stay steadfast in his writing career reminds us of the saying, “Sincerity works.” Following is an interview with Jung Yeong-Wook, a writer who deeply empathizes with the pain we encounter in our lives and writes stories that heal our hearts.

 

 

It’s an honor to have you with us on K-Book Trends. Please briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

 

Hello, I’m Jung Yeong-Wook, a non-fiction writer and the CEO of Bookrum Publishing, which is entering its 10th year. My books and my publisher’s books are also being published in overseas markets - I wonder if you have heard of them. It’s a pleasure for me to be lucky enough to say hello to you all through this interview.

 

 

You published It’s Just a Matter of Getting It Done (Noll) in April. It seems like we can feel a strong “eagerness” from its title. Can you please introduce us to the book?

 

The latest title, It’s Just a Matter of Getting It Done, covers various topics like jobs, consumption, relationships, love, death, and depression. It describes the situations and ideas about several words that are so common in our lives, and I put my hope to boost readers’ self-respect and self-esteem deep inside their hearts in the production, by accepting themselves as they are, instead of turning a blind eye to their lives, as they read through the book.

 

“When we can’t put into words our complex feelings and fully open up our thoughts, we just get to say, ‘It’s nothing.’ Or, we say ‘I’m okay,’ to pretend as if there is nothing going on - the feelings deep inside our hearts remain unrevealed.
It’s not that those feelings are not important or trivial – it’s just that they are sometimes so overwhelming and critical that we keep them in our hearts.

 

If there is a word that can simply express such an incomplete life, and if we can remember that we have been saying such a word to someone else in our lives, then, perhaps, we can say it to ourselves without any other extra explanation, just like it’s nothing and not a big deal.

 

It’s okay even if you feel like you are incomplete, anxious, have nothing accomplished, falling behind, sad, painful, have missed something that you wanted to grasp, have run away from something even though you wanted to hold on to it, or have cried alone after pretending to be okay. It’s just a matter of getting it done. Everything is just a course of getting along until the end. You are doing great, and just keep doing it. It’s going to be okay. Just take a breath and move on again.

 

I left my anxious stories inside as I closed the book.
May the brief phrases from the book add colors to one’s life.”

- From “The last words” of the book It’s Just a Matter of Getting It Done

 

You first met the readers through an independent publication. What motivated you to start writing, and why did you choose an independent publication among many other types?

 

I did a total of 3 independent publications before I officially debuted. I think the reason for doing so was that I realized I hadn’t yet settled as a writer and wanted to have a narrower, deeper experience rather than going out into the wider world. Because I had to do all the editing, design, printing, distribution to independent bookstores, and marketing, I think it gave me a deeper understanding and lesson in publishing as well as being a writer.

 

And, after that, you have edited tens of independent publications, and established the publishing house Bookrum based on that experience. What kind of books does Bookrum Publishing mainly publish?

 

You really know a lot about me! Yes, I took charge of editing several independent publications to gain experience as an editor. Bookrum Publishing today only produces non-fiction titles, mainly heartwarming ones that console and empathize with readers. You know, like the ones you don’t remember purchasing, but exist on your shelf. So, I make books with the hope that they will be “a book that is given to you as a gift from someone who cares about you one day.” And that’s also why we have a slogan for ourselves - “It could be the book you’re reading.” This year, we plan to expand into self-help and fiction genres as well.

 

The book I Will Letter You (Bookrum Publishing), which was officially published after the company’s foundation, has long been receiving love from readers in Korea. Apart from this book, your books are famous for their gentle consolation. What is the message that you ultimately want to deliver to your readers?

 

“I think that enlightenment and healing come from empathizing with the other in most cases. I just write about how I experienced the same thing because I am an imperfect person who wants to teach them something but cannot. It’s just that. All I can say is that I’m still living even in this state, and so, I hope you live through it, too.”

 

This is from the writer’s introduction in the book You Did Well, You’re Doing Well, and You’ll Do Well (Bookrum Publishing). Instead of learning or realizing something through my books, I try to deliver how healing it can be by empathizing with someone, by saying, “I experienced it, too,” through messages.

 

The book Gently Yet Firmly (Bookrum Publishing) published last year was particularly impressive as it consoles the pain that anyone has in their heart. Where do you usually get the inspiration for your stories?

 

I don’t go out often to experience things – I take a single day and move around a lot, meeting people. So, most of the time, I get ideas for my stories when I’m in my room – recalling the day, the day from a month ago, or a year ago. So, if you ask me where I usually get the ideas for my stories, I would say, “from the past.”

 

 

You have been interacting with your readers through Social Media. If we look at your posts, we can feel your sincerity in them – they make us feel as if we have read a short essay. Is there a reason for the active interaction with your readers amidst the busy writing activities?

 

Well, for a writer, their new title is like bringing a child into the world. And I’m actively using Social Media as a channel to advertise, “My new kid is here!” That’s why I have relatively more interactions with my readers. I also introduced and promoted my first independent publication, and most of the readers who helped me with the crowdfunding are now married with kids. Some of them still come to my signing event, and I feel so touched and consoled by their continued support over time.

 

As a representative essayist in Korea, do you also have specific plans for overseas publishing?

 

While some of my books are already out there, if I were to imagine my book being published across the entire world, I would probably choose You Did Well, You’re Doing Well, and You’ll Do Well. I think it’s got a really good title.

 

You have been offering consolation to readers through your books and writing. If there was a book that comforted you, conversely, can you please tell us about it?

 

I usually read essays rather than poems, and I like writer Lee Byeong-Ryul’s writings. Every single one of his essays gently resonates in my heart.

 

* K-Book Trends Vol. 55 – Go to the interview with writer Lee Byung-Ryul

 

We look forward to your future as a writer, delivering gentle but firm reassurance, close to your readers. Lastly, do you have any goals or plans for the future?

 

I don’t think I have a specific goal as a writer, but rather, I want to keep writing so that my writing habits don’t get old. And, if I keep writing steadily and firmly, I may reach some unexpected goal. Thank you for reading the interview, and I hope that one day, my sentences will support your life.

 

 

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