A private studying problem has grown right into a wider dialog about tradition, identification and Nigeria’s studying habits, because the Korean Cultural Centre Nigeria (KCCN) builds a group round Korean literature in Abuja.
Culture Event Assistant and Admin, Habiba Sharon, started her journey in December 2025 to learn 200 books in a 12 months. Han Kang’s The Vegetarian was her first choose. It quickly led her to extra Korean novels and questions in regards to the tradition and historical past behind their tales.
Through its month-to-month Korean Literature Book Discussion, KCCN is popping that curiosity into shared conversations that discover how Korean tales mirror experiences acquainted to Nigerian readers.
The discussions have featured works together with The Vegetarian, Choi Eun-young’s Shoko’s Smile, Cho Nam-joo’s Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 and Hwang Bo-reum’s Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop.
From friendship and reminiscence to gender expectations and public harassment, the books have prompted individuals to look at social realities throughout each nations.
The dialogue of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop additionally introduced a Nigerian perspective by way of Victoria Emmanuel Okoida, founding father of FantasyBook Café, who shared how a childhood love of studying led her to change into a instructor and later open her bookshop.
Okoida challenged the notion that Nigerians don’t learn, pointing to readers and communities that maintain curiosity in books. However, she known as for stronger authorities funding in studying infrastructure, urging authorities to ascertain public libraries throughout native authorities areas.
“Every local government needs a library,” she stated, arguing that entry to books mustn’t depend upon the power to buy them.
The KCCN programme seeks to deepen cultural alternate by way of literature, transferring past the nation’s standard music, movies, meals and tv dramas to discover its written tales and concepts.
Yu Jin Lee, Events Manager and Book Conversation Supervisor, oversees the guide dialogue programme, which continues with Shin Kyung-sook’s Please Look After Mom on 29 October 2026, adopted by Sohn Won-pyung’s Almond in November.
The Centre additionally welcomes collaboration with guide golf equipment and literary communities within the Federal Capital Territory.
As the discussions develop, the initiative is exhibiting how tales from one other nation can spark conversations about shared experiences whereas nurturing Abuja’s literary group.
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