VOL.81/2025.04

 

Nanda

Adding wings with books

 

2025.04.07

 

Publishing is more than just making books – it’s about opening up new worlds to readers. Nanda, which started as an imprint of Munhakdongne Publishing and has since established itself as an independent literary publisher, is making a fresh wave in the Korean publishing industry by exploring the unique identity and tactile properties of books. Nanda’s name reflects its desire to give people invisible wings through books, which it publishes in a variety of genres, including non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. Following is an interview with CEO Kim Min-Jung, who is pushing the boundaries of literature through ingenious planning and experimental sensibilities.

 

 

It’s a pleasure to have you on K-Book Trends. Please introduce Nanda to our international readers and explain the meaning of the company’s name.

 

Nanda is a literary publishing house that started as an imprint of Munhakdongne in 2011 and became independent as an affiliate in 2016, with the catchphrase “Sensuous armament of deep stories.” As books are the spirit that makes people achieve the impossible, and are the wings that make people fly, the company was named Nanda, meaning “giving wings to people.” The name also emphasizes the terms or acts of “Na (me)” and “Da (all),” by putting a dot between “Nan” and “Da.” We often play around with different variations of the word “Nanda” because it has a face that changes depending on what word you put in front of it. It can be hard to convey in translation, but I dare say that it’s our mission to make our language more playful. Just look at “Matnanda (it tastes good),” for example.

 

Can you elaborate on what you mean by the catchphrase “Sensuous armament of deep stories”?

 

It is based on the idea that the outward manifestation of a book’s beauty is as important as the solidity of its inner depths. Just as every book in the world is different, so it is natural that every book in the world should be designed differently. I have a philosophy that the spirit of writing should be dressed in appropriate clothes, especially from the very foundation of paper. I believe that if you don’t armor your sensitive senses, if you don’t try to armor them, there will be no improvement in the material of a book. That’s where the one-line subtitle came from.

 

You are building the realm of not just poetry collections, but prose written by poets. For poets, the experience of writing prose can be a boundary-breaking one. What was the response from the poets who participated?

 

Everyone’s reaction will be different, but I have had people tell me that even though the genre they were writing was prose, the tension of writing poetry and the side stories about implications and thematic aspects that I sometimes interjected were challenging. For me, a book is supposed to make sense anyway - and by make sense, I mean it should make sense backwards and forwards. It’s all about the belief that a book should start with something that makes sense.

 

 

I have a philosophy that the spirit of writing should be dressed in appropriate clothes.

 

 

The monthly prose collection series, Shiuijeokjeol, started last year with a piece by Nanda’s CEO Kim Min-Jung, and over the course of twelve months, you published a variety of works. What was the message you wanted to convey through the series?

 

I often hear that poetry is a difficult genre. Readers frequently ask me to recommend books to them. Moreover, the reading population has decreased a lot. The Shiuijeokjeol series is a project that started from my desire to show various characteristics of poetry through collaborations with poets and to encourage people to read a book a day, as little as one poem a day. Not only that, I thought it would be beneficial for readers to try to read not only poetry but also various genres of writing, because not all genres of writing are best for them. It was a pilot program, but the response was not bad, so I decided to continue it for another year.

 

 

You are also organizing book talks with the authors who participated in the Shiuijeokjeol series. It seems like it would be an event where poets and readers can talk in-depth about their works. What has been the response to the book talks from poets and readers?

 

The Shiuijeokjeol book talks are being held at local bookstores across the country. Since most poets don’t usually get to meet their readers in person, very close and in small numbers, it’s a new experience for them as much as it is for the readers. They say that hearing their readers’ reactions in the voice of a person rather than in the voice of a “written review” gives them a new mindset for writing on the way home. People need to be met, and meeting people makes a difference. So, the book talk is a project that continues to follow Nanda’s spirit of “meeting.”

 

Nanda is one of the imprints of Munhakdongne Publishing, which is known for giving management opportunities to those who have a passion for books and the ability to organize. How did you get the opportunity to run a publishing house, and what do you think are your strengths as a poet and publisher?

 

In addition to organizing and launching the Munhakdongne Collection of Poems, I have been a literary editor for a long time. I think it’s the belief that I have been reading authors’ books all along, and the bond I have with them, or in other words, the loyalty between me and them, and the understanding that comes from the camaraderie of being their peer since I am also a poet. I mean, instantly being able to be in their shoes matters.

 

 

I believe a variety of entertaining ideas bring the future to the paper market.

 

 

You are constantly making new literary attempts, such as publishing prose by poets or multi-author poetry collections. What role do you hope to play in expanding this literary spectrum and engaging with readers?

 

I’m not a great, brilliant person who thinks about the history of Korean literature and its big spectrum and makes books. But I’m a person who can hold a pen and a piece of paper in my hand when I’m having fun, excited, or thrilled. Fun keeps you immature - it makes you a child. It infuses you with innocence. And, I think that’s what brings the future to the paper market. A world with lots of children touching paper – wouldn’t that be healthy? Wouldn’t that be peaceful? Wouldn’t that be nature itself?

 

Nanda is publishing books that excite readers. Are there any books you would recommend to international readers, and why?

 

Presenting K! - All The Korea You May Not See is already available in Korean and English versions. I don’t think there’s any other book in English written by a Korean that introduces Korea. It’s hard to believe that a book about K-culture could be written in such an entertaining and in-depth way that even a Korean wouldn’t know. When I gift the English version of this book to foreigners, they always love it. I highly recommend reading it.
Byung-Hun Min’s Book of Nudes is a photography book by world-renowned photographer Min Byung-Hun. It contains all of his nude works, which are popular all over the world, as well as interviews with the artist and commentary on his works in Korean, English, and French. His nudes are full of linear beauty, capturing the body as a universal language, especially in Korea, where nudity is often considered to be something that isn’t quite appropriate. He is known to have international artists such as Cigarettes After Sex and Rick Owens as his fans.

 

 

We look forward to seeing what Nanda will bring to the publishing world as you continue to reinvigorate the industry with sensible, fresh ideas. Please tell us about the direction you hope to take, your future goals and plans for new titles.

 

Nanda started out as a non-fiction publisher, but it was actually a warm-up for publishing poetry and fiction. This year, we are going to take a step into poetry and fiction. Of course, I can’t really envision that right now, because I can’t say that I can envision it until I have done it. I hope that you will continue to support Nanda’s poetry and fiction with as much interest and affection as you have so far.

 

 

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