Mirinae Lee wrote her debut hit novel, “Eight Lives of a Century-old Trickster” (2023), in English, not in her native Korean. At a recent book talk in Seoul, she revealed why. An audience of about 60, mostly foreigners, gathered on a sunny May 24 afternoon on a rooftop during the twice-yearly dbBOOKs’ warehouse sale. They were there to hear Lee speak about her writing philosophy in a book talk co-hosted by Seoul Silent Book Club (SSBC). When The Korea Times profiled her in December 2023, Lee’s work was already gaining acclaim. More success came in 2024, as her novel was nominated for several awards. Korean-language publishers, meanwhile, had to rush to catch up. The Korean translation of her book came out in mid-2024, 15 months after the original English edition, and proceeded by at least two European translations. Lee told the gathered fans that a TV production company is pushing forward with a screen-adaptation of “Trickster,” with filming expected to begin later this year. Lee said she is not involved in the screenplay adaptation, taking a hands-off approach. She did reveal one thing:
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