Sun Hyang Kim’s So Long Named 2026 Book of the Year

Mundus Artium Press says Sun Hyang Kim’s poetry collection So Long was chosen as the Mihai Eminescu International Academy’s Book of the Year 2026 in Romania. The selection spotlights a work that spans Kim’s poetry over 13 years and underscores her continued profile in contemporary Korean and global literature.

Why it matters: - The Mihai Eminescu International Academy’s selection gives Sun Hyang Kim’s So Long an international literary honor tied to a major Romanian cultural institution. - The recognition highlights a poetry collection built from work published over 13 years and frames Kim as a leading poetic voice with cross-cultural relevance. - The award also draws attention to literature shaped by Korean history, identity, and the lived experience of division and reunion.

What happened: - Mundus Artium Press, based at The University of Texas at Dallas, announced that So Long by Sun Hyang Kim was selected as the Book of the Year 2026 by the Mihai Eminescu International Academy. - The academy is based in Craiova, Romania. - The selection committee unanimously chose the collection. - The academy said the book stood out for “its poetic depth, exceptional clarity, and resonant artistic vision.”

The details: - So Long brings together poetic work spanning three prior books by Sun Hyang Kim over 13 years. - The earlier volumes are Verse Diary (2012), Golden Roses (2021), and The Day, The Flower (2024). - The collection is presented as capturing both the evolution of Kim’s writing and the core of her poetic world. - Kim’s poems are described as part of the “Verse Diary” genre and as using refined language rooted in personal experience. - Academy president Dr. Ion Deaconescu said the book shows “the enduring power of poetry to foster understanding, compassion, and meaningful human connection.” - Mundus Artium Press president Gjekë Marinaj said Kim’s work “dwells between equilibrium and rupture” and joins “emotional ardor with disciplined cultivation.”

Between the lines: - The award suggests the academy sees So Long as more than a standard poetry collection; it reads as a synthesis of a long artistic arc. - The book’s focus on Korean history and Kim’s journey from North to South Korea gives the collection added historical and cultural weight. - The recognition also reinforces the appeal of poetry that blends personal memory with broader political and social context.

What's next: - So Long is now in its second edition after selling out immediately upon initial release. - The new award is likely to further expand interest in the collection and in Kim’s earlier volumes. - The Mihai Eminescu International Academy remains an active international cultural body with a founding history that includes Nobel laureates Czesław Miłosz and Wole Soyinka.

The bottom line: - So Long now carries a major international honor that cements Sun Hyang Kim’s standing as a poet whose work links intimate voice, Korean history, and formal craft.