Singaporean translator Shanna Tan brings Korean bestsellers to global readers

‘I started self-studying Korean when I was 18. At the time, Korean wasn’t a very popular language to learn, so I had to be very resourceful. I used anything I could get my hands on, be it from the library or online,’ says Tan. Photo: The Star/Low Lay Phon

Singaporean literary translator Shanna Tan, who translated Welcome To The Hyunam-dong Bookshop into English, found herself in the spotlight during a recent bookshop tour with author Hwang Bo-reum in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

As they engaged with eager audiences, Tan faced numerous questions about the nuances of translation, the challenges of capturing the original work’s essence, and the collaborative process between translator and author.