Seoul writers’ festival to explore what makes us human
The 2026 Seoul International Writers’ Festival will begin in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday. Its central theme will be the question “Who are we?”, and participants will explore human identity and what makes us human through literature, Korea Herald reports.
Festival opening conversation
The opening conversation will feature writer Kim Ae-ran and Chilean writer Benjamín Labatut, who was nominated for the International Booker Prize. Under the subtheme “We Are Someone,” they will discuss how contemporary literature reflects on human existence and identity.
At a press conference in Seoul, Labatut said that literature ultimately asks what it means to be human. In his view, people should first turn to their own animal sensations and primal human instincts.
He also expressed the belief that literature is protected from the influence of artificial intelligence because it is an art form that contains the human soul and exists outside technological systems. Labatut stressed that stories tell of how human bodies interact with the world.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Comments on artificial intelligence
Kim Ae-ran said that events about AI have been held in almost every field over the past three years, so she had also considered the possibility that people might be growing tired of the topic. At the same time, the writer called it inevitable for authors, since the AI environment is based on language models.
According to her, literature does not create the illusion of easy communication, but shows how complex and exhausting communication can be. She added that, unlike AI, which specializes in knowledge and information, literature makes it possible to acknowledge one’s own lack of knowledge.
The festival has been held since 2006, and this year it will take place for the 15th time. It will bring together 24 writers — 14 from Korea and 10 from other countries. The program includes about 20 events, including conversations between Korean and foreign authors, discussions between writers and translators, and events for audiences.
