Korean epic fantasy 'The Bird That Drinks Tears' wins French literary prize

Fantasy writer Lee Young-do’s The Bird that Drinks Tears won the 2026 Prix du livre Cultissime in France. The prize honors fiction seen as likely to endure as a future classic, and the winning volume was the first French-language book in Lee’s four-part fantasy series. The festival announced the winners on Friday in Angers, France, after a vote split between the public and a professional panel.

The prize was chosen from five finalists, including works by Adelaide de Clermont-Tonnerre, Virginia Evans, John Boyne and Julia Thevenot.

Lee’s series was originally published in Korea in 2003.

The Bird That Drinks Tears has sold about 1 million copies in Korea.

The series has been licensed in 17 languages and more than 30 countries.

Its first English-language volume, The Heart of the Nhaga, was released in June and marked the novel’s first English publication.

Published Sep 28, 2026 12:20 pm KST

Cover of the French edition of Lee Yeong-do’s “The Bird That Drinks Tears” / Courtesy of Hachette Heroes

Fantasy writer Lee Young-do’s “The Bird that Drinks Tears” has won the 2026 Prix du livre Cultissime in France, a prize recognizing fiction deemed likely to endure as a future classic.

The award went to the first French-language volume of Lee’s four-part fantasy series at the Cultissime Festival in Angers, France. The festival, which celebrates works with lasting popular appeal, announced the winners on Friday.

The prize is decided through a vote split equally between the general public and a professional panel. Lee’s novel was selected from five finalists, alongside works by French author Adelaide de Clermont-Tonnerre, American writer Virginia Evans, Irish novelist John Boyne and French young-adult author Julia Thevenot.

In a statement released by Korean publisher Golden Bough, Lee expressed gratitude for the honor and reflected on the solitary nature of writing.

“Writers who express themselves only through words, without video or background music, can seem like steadfast artists somewhat ft behind in this luxurious age,” he said. ”But I believe we find strength because there are people who seek out such artists.”

He added that he hoped festival visitors would “always have time in their 24 hours to read.”

Originally published in Korea in 2003, “The Bird That Drinks Tears” is a four-volume epic that incorporates distinctly Korean cultural elements, including “dokkaebi” (goblins), “ssireum” (traditional wrestling), “yutnori” (a board game) and “ondol” (underfloor heating). The series has sold about 1 million copies in Korea.

The French win comes even though only the first volume has been published there. It had previously been shortlisted for France’s Grand Prix de l’Imaginare and Prix Imaginales since its publication in October 2025.

The series has been licensed in 17 languages and more than 30 countries. Its first English-language volume, “The Heart of the Nhaga,” translated by Anton Hur, was released in June, marking the novel’s first English publication.

奇幻作家李英道的《饮泪之鸟》荣获2026年法国“最杰出图书奖”（Prix du livre Cultissime）。该奖项旨在表彰被认为极有可能成为未来经典的文学作品，而获奖作品正是李英道四部曲奇幻系列的第一部法语版。在法国昂热举行的图书节上，经过公众投票和专业评审团的共同评选，最终公布了获奖名单。

该奖项从五位决赛入围者中选出，其中包括 Adelaide de Clermont-Tonnerre、Virginia Evans、John Boyne 和 Julia Thevenot 的作品。

李的这部系列作品最初于2003年在韩国出版。

《饮泪之鸟》在韩国的销量约为100万册。

该剧集已被授权翻译成 17 种语言，并在 30 多个国家/地区播出。

其第一部英文版《纳加之心》于 6 月发行，标志着这部小说首次以英文出版。

发布于2026年9月28日下午12:20（韩国标准时间）

李英道《饮泪之鸟》法文版封面 / 图片由Hachette Heroes提供

奇幻作家李英度的《饮泪之鸟》荣获 2026 年法国“最有价值图书奖”（Prix du livre Cultissime），该奖项旨在表彰被认为有可能成为未来经典的优秀小说。

在法国昂热举行的Cultissime文学节上，李的四部曲奇幻系列的第一部法语版荣获大奖。该文学节旨在表彰具有持久大众吸引力的作品，并于周五公布了获奖名单。

该奖项由公众和专业评审团各占一半的投票结果决定。李的小说从五部入围作品中脱颖而出，其他入围作品包括法国作家阿德莱德·德·克莱蒙-托内尔、美国作家弗吉尼亚·埃文斯、爱尔兰小说家约翰·博伊恩和法国青少年文学作家朱莉娅·特韦诺的作品。

李在韩国出版社金枝出版社发布的一份声明中对这份荣誉表示感谢，并反思了写作的孤独本质。

他说：“那些只用文字表达自我，不借助视频或背景音乐的作家，在这个奢华的时代，似乎显得有些固步自封，落后于时代。但我相信，正是因为有人在寻找这样的艺术家，我们才能从中汲取力量。”

他还表示，希望参加节日活动的游客“在一天24小时中总能抽出时间阅读”。

《饮泪之鸟》最初于2003年在韩国出版，是一部四卷本的史诗巨著，融合了鲜明的韩国文化元素，包括“鬼怪”（dokkaebi）、“摔跤”（ssireum）、“棋牌”（yutnori）和“地暖”（ondol）。该系列在韩国的销量约为100万册。

尽管该书在法国仅出版了第一卷，但它仍然赢得了法国大奖。此前，自2025年10月出版以来，该书已多次入围法国“想象力大奖”（Grand Prix de l'Imaginare）和“想象力奖”（Prix Imaginales）的最终名单。

该系列小说已被授权翻译成17种语言，并在30多个国家发行。其首部英文版《纳加之心》（由安东·赫尔翻译）于6月出版，标志着这部小说首次以英文面世。