Love In The Big City

Get ready for the world premiere of Love In The Big City at this year’s festival!

Love in the Big City is a captivating and poignant novel that became one of the best-selling debuts in recent years in Korea. Written by Sang Young Park, an emerging literary voice, this novel marks his English-language debut and quickly became a runaway bestseller, topping major bookstore charts and going through twenty-six printings. Praised for its distinctive perspective and unique narrative style, Love in the Big City is set to resonate with a global audience.

The story follows Young, a cynical yet spirited Korean student navigating the vibrant but isolating streets of Seoul. He drifts between classes, his home, and the beds of his latest Tinder matches. Alongside his best friend and roommate, Jaehee, they drown their worries about love, family, and finances in rounds of soju and shared cigarettes, finding solace in each other's company. However, as Jaehee eventually moves on to settle down, Young is left alone to care for his ailing mother and to explore new relationships with a series of men—one whose striking looks are matched by his aloofness, and another who could be the great love he's been seeking.

With its sharp wit and emotional depth, Love in the Big City offers a vivid portrayal of millennial loneliness and the highs and lows of queer life. It takes readers on a journey through Seoul’s vibrant nightlife and its quiet, reflective mornings, capturing both the humor and heartache of searching for connection in a bustling city.