The English translation of Nobel Prize winner Han Kang's novel "We Do Not Part" has been selected for the longlist in the translated literature category for the 2025 National Book Award, the National Book Foundation announced Tuesday. This recognition places the Korean author's latest work of fiction among ten distinguished titles competing for one of America's most prestigious literary honors.

The timeline for the award process extends through the fall, with finalists scheduled to be announced on October 7, followed by the winner's announcement on November 19. The novel represents Han Kang's most recent fictional work, originally published in Korean in September 2021, predating her historic Nobel Prize win in 2024.

Han Kang made literary history as the first Asian woman to receive the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. Since achieving this milestone, she has continued her prolific writing career, releasing an essay collection in April, which marks her first published work following the Nobel recognition.

The National Book Award committee provided a detailed description of the novel's significance in their announcement, stating that it "brings to light the lost voices of the past to save them from oblivion, blurring the boundaries between dream and reality." They further characterized the work as "both a hymn to enduring friendship and an argument for remembering," describing it as "the story of profound love in the face of unspeakable pain and a celebration of life, however fragile it might be."

The English edition was brought to American readers through the collaborative translation efforts of E. Yaewon and Paige Aniyah Morris. Hogarth, an imprint of Penguin Random House, published the book in the United States, making Han Kang's powerful narrative accessible to English-speaking audiences.

The National Book Award, presented annually by the National Book Foundation, stands as the most prestigious literary recognition in the United States. The award encompasses five distinct categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature, and young people's literature, celebrating excellence across the full spectrum of literary achievement.

Korean literature has gained increasing recognition in the translated literature category in recent years. Previous longlist selections include Cho Nam-ju's groundbreaking novel "Kim Ji-young, Born 1982," translated by Jamie Chang, and Kim Bo-young's acclaimed short story collection "On the Origin of Species and Other Stories," translated by Joungmin Lee Comfort. Additionally, Bora Chung's "Cursed Bunny," translated by Anton Hur, also earned longlist recognition, demonstrating the growing international appreciation for contemporary Korean literary works.