Peace is a day when
everyone in the world eats bread together as friends.
Banishing starvation from the earth is peace.
—Ko Un, Song of Peace
In a world known for its conformism and complacency, questioning through the writing of poetry is a most courageous and dangerous act. Poets are brave spirits, fighting against tyrannies, wars and violence. Perhaps no one exemplifies this more than South Korean poet Ko Un. His poems, touching upon the themes of life, nature, mortality and echoes of tradition, are firmly rooted in Korean life, fulfilling the function of historical memory. In the past 30 years, he has been translated into 35 languages, and is the recipient of dozens of literary prizes and honours.
In Conversations with Ko Un, renowned philosopher Ramin Jahanbegloo talks to the poet about his life, vision, aesthetics, travails and anxieties. Ko Un speaks about coming of age during the Korean War, his experience as a Buddhist monk, his imprisonment on several occasions, and poetry as an act of dissent. The result is an intense, illuminating, rich and insightful volume that emphasises the universality of the human experience.