Sample chapters from:

the

OLD

GARDEN

HWANG SOK-YONG

Translated by Jay Oh

Forthcoming from Seven Stories Press:

Publication Date: September 2, 20096 x 9

544 pages

Cloth$30.00 US

ISBN 978-1-58322-899-9

OldGarden_chapbook:Layout 1 5/21/09 9:50 AM Page 1

Copyright © 2000 by Hwang Sok-yongEnglish translation © 2009 by Seven Stories PressEnglish translation rights arranged through agreement with Zulma.Published and translated with kind support from the Korean Literature TranslationInstitute.All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including mechanical, electric,photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of thepublisher.Seven Stories Press140 Watts StreetNew York, NY 10013www.sevenstories.comDistributed in Canada by Publishers Group Canada, 559 College Street, Suite 402,Toronto, ON M6G 1A9

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The sound of footsteps far off. Heels hammered on the concrete floor ina martial rhythm.It was the chief guard making his last rounds.“All clear,” the watchtower reported.To reach this section, he would have to pass through two iron gates.I emerged from the quilt tightly wrapped around my shoulders and satup. In that position I felt the cold dawn air cut into my back. I took off the felt slippers I wore at night over thick wool socks, and then the capI’d made out of another sock. I put on my prison uniform stenciled withthe numbers of my building, my cell, my registration. 1444 had been my name for a long time. I’d almost forgotten my real one. When did they give it to me? At roll call, mail call, on work detail, when I had a visitoror was getting a penalty, it was always with that number, preceded or fol-lowed by an insult, that they conceded that I did exist.Standing on a low table, I pulled down the cardboard that, in viola-tion of the rules, shaded the fluorescent bulb that shone day and night.The prisoner had to be observed 24/7. Daylight never ended, daylightwith no sun. I’d torn apart a cardboard carton from ramen noodlepackets, covered it with writing paper, then attached it to the light fix-ture with sticky tape. I attached a broken chopstick to this shade to raise

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