B.K. Chu

B.K. Chu is a Korean-born author and illustrator based in Norway and the creator of the Youngho and Chadori fantasy series. Writing in both English and Korean, she draws inspiration from a life lived across many languages and cultures, as well as from her love of travel, storytelling, illustration and, not least, animals – especially dogs.

Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, B.K. Chu moved to England shortly before turning seventeen to continue her education. She later graduated from the University of Bristol with a joint degree in English Literature and Philosophy. She went on to live, study and work in France, Mexico, Honduras, the United States and Norway, and was one of two Korean editors for FIFA’s official website during the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™.

While studying in California, she met her future husband and eventually settled in Norway. Six months after their wedding, she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. A brain haemorrhage shortly before surgery left her hemiplegic. With one side of her body paralysed and her hearing and vision severely affected, she spent six years in rehabilitation, having to relearn everything from scratch – to breathe, eat, sit, stand, walk and talk. When she was able to speak again, she initially did so with a newly acquired Norwegian accent picked up from her speech therapists. 

During those years, she rediscovered her childhood ambition: writing and illustrating books. With her right arm largely unaffected, she could still type and draw, and the language skills she had spent years learning remained intact.  She still speaks Korean, English, French, Norwegian and Spanish.

Her debut novel, Youngho and Chadori: The Door to the Spirit World, is Book I of the series and is available in British and American English, as well as a Korean–English bilingual edition. Book II of the series is currently in progress.

B.K. Chu lives in Stavanger, Norway, with her husband, Kjetil, and their Welsh Springer Spaniel, Oscar. Chadori was inspired by Oscar and two much-loved family dogs, Emil and Victor, who have since passed on.

주보경 周輔京

주보경(B.K. Chu)은 한국에서 태어나서 자라고 현재 노르웨이를 기반으로 활동 중인 작가이자 일러스트레이터이며, 『영호와 차도리』 판타지 시리즈의 저자이다. 한국어와 영어로 작품 활동을 하고 있고, 여러 언어와 문화를 통해 쌓아온 경험, 또 무엇보다 여행, 글, 그림, 그리고 동물—특히 개—에 대한 애정은 그의 작품 세계에 있어 중요한 영감의 원천이  되어주고있다.

서울 출신으로 만 17세가 되기 불과 몇 주 전 도영했고, 영국 브리스톨 대학에서 영문학과 철학을 복수 전공했다. 이후 프랑스,멕시코, 온두라스, 미국, 노르웨이 등지에서 거주, 수학 또는 재직했고, 2002 FIFA 월드컵 한국/일본™ 경기 시에는 FIFA 월드컵공식 홈페이지의 한국어 담당 편집자 2인 중 1인으로 활약하기도 했다. 

캘리포니아에서 유학하던 중 지금의 남편을 만나 이후 노르웨이에 정착했으나, 결혼 6개월 만에 뇌종양 진단을 받게 되었고 수술을 불과 며칠 앞두고 일어난 뇌출혈로 그만 반신마비라는 시련을 겪게 되었다. 게다가 시각과 청각까지 심각한 손상을 입었다. 이후 6년이 넘는 세월을 재활에만 전념하며 숨쉬기와 밥 먹기부터 앉기, 서기, 걷기, 말하기에 이르기까지 생활 전반의 모든 것을 다시 배워야만했다. 다시 말을 할 수 있게 된 초기에는 노르웨이 언어재활사들의 영향으로 노르웨이 억양이 남아 있기도 했다.

하지만 고된 재활 과정 중 어린 시절의 꿈이었던 작가 겸 삽화가의 길로 다시 눈을 돌리게 되었다. 마비가 되지 않은 오른팔로 글을 쓰고 그림을 그렸고, 불행 중 다행으로 평생 꾸준한 노력으로 익혀 온 언어 능력도 잃지 않았다. 여전히 변함없이 한국어, 영어, 프랑스어, 노르웨이어, 스페인어 등 5개 국어를 구사한다.

데뷔 소설 『영호와 차도리: 영혼의 세계로 가는 문』은 시리즈의 제1권으로, 영국 영어판과 미국 영어판, 그리고 한·영 대역판으로출간되었다. 현재는 시리즈 제2권을 집필 중이다.

현재는 노르웨이 스타방에르에서 남편 셰틸(Kjetil), 웰쉬 스프링어 스패니얼 품종의 반려견 오스카와 함께 살고 있다. ‘차도리’는 오스카를 비롯, 이제는 세상을 떠난 반려견 에밀과 빅토르에게서 영감을 받아 탄생한 캐릭터이다.