The Seoul Letter Shop

A touching testament to the power of letter writing and connecting with strangers, for fans of Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and What You're Looking For is in the Library.

Hyoyoung feels trapped in her small hometown after her dreams of becoming a film maker are dashed. When a friend asks if she can take charge of his boutique letter shop in Seoul's Yeonhui-dong district, she jumps at the opportunity.Though it takes a while for Hyoyoung to adjust to life at the shop, she is soon beguiled by its charms. The store is stocked with gorgeous pens, papers and envelopes. It also runs a pen pal service, where customers can pick up a letter written by an anonymous pen pal if they agree to write an anonymous letter in return. Hyoyoung observes the shop's customers writing to each other, expressing their deepest fears and desires to people they've never met. Over time, Hyoyoung builds lasting connections with the customers, each of whom has their own story to tell. And it's not long before she discovers the healing, transformative power of the handwritten letter herself…

About the author

Baek Seungyeon is Korean writer based in Seoul. She majored in Creative Writing and Literature and is a rising talent first discovered through the Munhaksasan Writing Program in 2017. She is the author of the debut novel 'The Seoul Letter Shop', a celebration of the lost art of letter-writing and the importance of finding connection in an increasingly isolated world. The novel is published in Korea by Toyou's Dream in 2024 and will be translated into English, Italian, French, Spanish, Dutch and Finnish.