Lee Yeongdo’s fantasy novel “The Bird That Drinks Tears” has been named a preliminary nominee in the foreign novel category of France’s Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, publisher Golden Bough said on March 27.
The Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire is regarded as France’s top science fiction and fantasy literary prize, selected by a jury of experts including journalists, writers and critics.
A total of 13 works made the first-round list. “The Bird That Drinks Tears” will compete for a spot among the finalists alongside new titles by authors including Man Booker Prize nominee Ned Beauman, Philip K. Dick Award winner Bethany Jacobs and World Fantasy Award winner Nnedi Okorafor.
Finalists are to be announced March 30.
The first volume of the French edition has sold more than 20,000 copies in four months, the publisher said. The series has also been released in major European markets including Germany, Italy, Spain, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. In Germany, it sold 50,000 copies in the first year after all four volumes were published.
The novel has also drawn renewed attention in South Korea. During the Lunar New Year holiday, it ranked No. 1 overall on the e-book platform Ridibooks, while the print boxed set sold more than 2,000 sets and moved into the upper tier of fantasy and genre rankings at major bookstores.
The publisher said interest was also boosted by Krafton’s open-world action role-playing game “Project Windless,” based on the novel. The game was unveiled at PlayStation’s “State of Play” showcase and drew attention from users worldwide.
“The Bird That Drinks Tears” is being translated into 17 languages for publication in more than 30 countries. In June, the first volume is scheduled for release in the United States and Britain with major promotions, translated by Anton Hur, known for translating “Cursed Bunny.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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