Abstract

This interview features Professor Janet Poole from the Department of East Asian Studies at the University of Toronto, focusing on her academic trajectory, sustained engagement with Korean literature, and postcolonial potential made possible through translation. Professor Poole translated a wide range of Korean literary works, particularly those from the colonial and post-war periods, into English and introduced them to Western readers. For her, translation is not merely a linguistic act, but a deeply interpretive and historically situated mode of thought. The interview explores the intellectual path that led her from Japanese to Korean literature, her long-standing interest in writers such as Yi Taejun and Choe Myŏngik, and her translation practice. It also addresses her perspective of the colonial and Cold War periods not as separate, but as historically continuous, and discusses the reception of Korean literature in North American academic institutions. Reflecting on her dual role as translator and scholar, Poole emphasizes the ethical dimension of translation as a means of preserving the voices of others and conveying complex emotions and lived experiences. The interview offers meaningful insights for scholars interested in the global reception of Korean literature, translation, postcolonial theory, and critical possibilities for scholarly translation practice.