Lee Young-do, a master of Korean fantasy literature, has won the 2026 Cultissime Literary Award for his work 'The Bird That Drinks Tears.'
Publisher Hwanggeumgaji announced on the 28th that the French edition of 'The Bird That Drinks Tears' has been selected as this year's recipient of the Cultissime Literary Award.
The Cultissime Literary Award is presented annually at the Cultissime Festival, an international literature and comics festival held in Angers, France, each fall. The award honors fiction works that have the potential to become classics, having been cherished over time. A committee of experts selects the final nominees, and the winner is determined through a vote that weighs public and expert opinions equally at 50% each.
Lee expressed his gratitude, stating, "I sincerely thank you for this precious award. It is an honor that is difficult to comprehend, as it is given to a work that is sure to remain meaningful in the future." He added, "A writer who expresses only through words, without video or background music, resembles a voice actor who performs without facial expressions or gestures. In this luxurious era, such a straightforward expression can seem somewhat outdated, which can lead to loneliness. However, I believe that those who seek out such expressers give me strength."
This award comes as only the first volume of the four-volume series has been published in France. 'The Bird That Drinks Tears' has previously been nominated for major French genre literature awards, including the Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire and the Prix Imaginales. The rights have been sold in 30 countries across 17 languages, and in Germany, where all four volumes have been published, Lee's other notable work, 'Dragon Raja,' has also been contracted for publication, with the first volume set to be released in November.
First published in 2003, 'The Bird That Drinks Tears' is a four-volume fantasy epic that uniquely incorporates Korean elements such as goblins, wrestling, and yutnori into its world-building. The cumulative sales in South Korea have reached approximately 1 million copies. The work has also been adapted into an audio drama featuring 21 voice actors, and a sequel, 'The Bird That Drinks Blood,' is set to be released as an audio drama with 58 voice actors participating, expanding beyond traditional publishing into various content formats.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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