An Dohyeon
An Dohyeon is a South Korean poet and university professor. He was Born in Yecheon, Gyeongsangbuk-do in 1961, he made his literary debut in 1984 when his poem won the Dong-A Ilbo New Year's Literary Contest. He has published poetry collections such as 'Jeon Bong-jun Going to Seoul', 'Bonfire', 'I Want to Go to You', 'The Discovery of Ando-hyun', 'Miscellaneous Essays', Such a Thing, and Baekseok's Criticism. The fairy tale for adults such as Salmon, which has been printed over 100 times, has been translated and published overseas in 15 languages. He has won awards including the Seokjeong Poetry Literature Award, Sowol Poetry Literature Award, Nojak Literature Award, Isu Literature Award, Yun Dong-ju Award, and Baekseok Literature Award, and is currently a professor in the Department of Creative Writing at Dankook University.
Biography
An Dohyeon was born in 1961 in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province. While in high school, he joined the creative writing club 'Taedonggi Literary Society', coming to know fellow writers such as Hong Seung-woo, Seo Jeong-yoon, Park Deok-gyu, Kwon Tae-hyeon, Ha Eung-baek, and Lee Jeong-ha. He received many awards such as various writing contests and creative writing competitions across the country including the 'Hakwon Literary Award'. In 1980 he entered Wonkwang University to study Korean literature, and he was also active as a member of Guksi, a literary communication journal that was being published in Daegu, along with writers Park Gi-young, Park Sang-bong, and Jang Jung-il. He began his literary career as his poem "Nakdong River" won the Daegu Maeil Shinmun's New Writer Contest in 1981, and his poem "Jeon Bong-jun Goes to Seoul" won [The Dong-A Ilbo's New Writer Contest in 1984.He started his career in education as he became a Korean language teacher at Iri Middle School in February 1985, but he was fired from Iri Middle School in August 1989 for having joined the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union. Afterwards, until February 1994 he worked at the Iri Iksan branch of the KTU, and was also active as a member of the 'Society of Educational Creative Writing' with Kim Jinkyung, Do Jong-hwan, Bae Chang-hwan, Jo Jae-do, Jeong Yeong-sang, Jo Seong-sun, and Jo Hyeon-seol. In March 1994 he was transferred to Sanseo High School in Jangsu County, North Jeolla Province, but he resigned from teaching in February 1997, and turned to writing full-time. Afterwards, he received a master's degree and a doctorate degree in creative writing at Dankook University's Graduate School. He is currently a creative writing professor at Woosuk University.
Writing
An Dohyeon's poetry is rooted in traditional lyric poetry. He is seen as a poet that depicts the reality of the nation and society with fine sensitivity beyond personal levels, despite the fact that he uses personal experiences as the base of his poetry. He published various poetry collections: Jeon Bong-jun Goes to Seoul, which lyrically depicts life and history from a perspective of youthful innocence; Modakbul, which contains introspection into the loneliness and the reality of surrounding life; Geuriun yeowoo, which deals with issues of the time period and inner conflict; and Badatga woocheguk, which deals with rather average thing such as a post office by the sea and a countryside barber shop in sympathetic and romantic way. He has also published Badatga woocheguk, Neo-ege garyeogo gangeul mandeuleotda, Amugeotdo anin geot-e daehayeo, and Ganjeolhage cham cheoleopsi. For fiction, he has written The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher, which depicts a salmon's return to its birthplace as a story of struggle of growth and the pain of love.An Dohyeon is a poet who has expressed romantic emotions with excellent realism based on a clear poetic mind. His poetry has been praised as showing clear lyricism that arouses originality with poetic language that is universal and can be easily read. The poet wrote mainly about the sorrow of poverty-ridden life until the early 90s. After the late 90s, he distanced himself from direct depiction of reality, and started to explore into nature and the simple life. His recent poetry collections show that such exploration is enabling him to go to a level that makes poetic introspection on such 'relationships' possible.
Works
Poetry collections
- Jeon Bong-jun Goes to Seoul, Minumsa, 1985.
- Modakbul, Changbi, 1989.
- Geudae-ege gago sipda, Pureunsup, 1991.
- Oeropgo nopgo Sseul-sseulhan, Munhakdongne, 1994.
- Geuriun yeowoo, Changbi, 1997.
- Badatga woocheguk, Munhakdongne, 1999.
- Amugeotdo anin geot-e daehayeo, Hyundae Munhak Books, 2001.
- Neo-ege garyeogo gangeul mandeuleotda, Changbi, 2004.
- Ganjeolhage cham cheoleopsi, Changbi, 2008.
- Bukhang, Munhakdongne, 2012.
Essay collections
- Oero-ul ttaeneun oero-wohaja, Samtoh, 1998.
- Na daesin kkotip-I sseun I pyeonjireul, Hamunsa, 1999.
- Geu Jakgo hachaneun geotdeul-e daehan aechak, Namu Books, 1999.
- Dangsineul saranghari ttaemunipnida, Iga Publishing, 2000.
- Ireumi raniraneun yeoja-aega itseotda, Dong-A Ilbo, 2000.
- Samgwa jukeum iyagi, Sarangui saem, 2008.
- Chiyuwa hoebok, Heaven, 2011.
- Nega bogo sipeoseo barami buleotda, Doors, 2012.
- Naneun dangsinipnida, Feel Books, 2014.
- An Dohyeonui balgyeon, Hani Books, 2014.
- Saram Saram, Shinwon Books, 2015.
- Jabmun, The Story House, 2015.
- Geureon il, Samin, 2016.
Children's poetry books
- Gireogineun chagapda, Munhakdongne Children, 2016.
Children's books
- The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher, Munhakdongne, 1996.
- Gwangye, Munhakdongne, 1998.
- Jjajangmyeon Yolimwon, 2000.
- Nabi, Lizaenbook, 2005.
- Homireul meokeun jwi, Parangsae, 2008.
- Osoriwa byeoruk.
- Yeoneo iyagi, Munhakdongne, 2010.
- Sigol kkoma manboki, Hansol Soobook, 2014.
Critical biographies
- Baekseokpyeongjeon, Dasan Books, 2014.
- Jeon Bong-jun, Sanha, 2016.
Works in English
- The Salmon Who Dared to Leap Higher
- Poems by Ahn Do-Hyun
Awards
- 1996 Poetry and Poetics Award for New Poet
- 1998 13th Sowol Poetry Prize
- 2002 1st Nojak Literature Prize
- 2005 12th Isu Literature Prize
- 2007 2nd Yun Dongju Literature Award