The Red Years

The author and poet known only as 'Bandi' (a pseudonym meaning 'firefly') spent his childhood in China before returning to North Korea, the country of his birth, as a young man. Initially writing for North Korean magazines, the focus of Bandi's writing changed forever after the deaths of many people close to him during the great famine of the 1990s. The experiences of this time made him resolve to share with the outside world a true likeness of the harsh North Korean society as he himself saw it. With the help of a relative, he was able to smuggle a collection of his poems and stories to South Korea. The first part of this manuscript achieved international acclaim when it was published as the short story collection The Accusation: Forbidden Stories From Inside North Korea (2018).

Though North Korea holds the attention of the world, it is still rare for us to hear North Korean voices, beyond those few who have escaped. Known only by his pen name, the poet and author 'Bandi' stands as one of the most distinctive and original dissident writers to emerge from the country, and his work is all the more striking for the fact that he continues to reside in North Korea, writing in secret, with his work smuggled out of the country by supporters and relatives.The Red Years represents the first collection of Bandi's poetry to be made available in English. As he did in his first work The Accusation, Bandi here gives us a rare glimpse into everyday life and survival in North Korea. Singularly poignant and evocative, The Red Years stands as a testament to the power of the human spirit to endure and resist even the most repressive of regimes.

This is the first work of Bandi's poetry to be made available in English, offering a uniquely evocative portrait of life in North Korea, that most mythologised of countries.

Preface Poem1. Barren Earth A New Arirang for the NorthGreen Leaves, FallingBlizzardBloody FallA Maiden's WindowSong of the Fire SwallowsChajabi (The Hitchhiker)Ugly, White SnowThe Mill on the MountainNew Seongcheon Station2. Exhausted HeartSong of the Red PeopleRoundabout BluesToadsNo Ingredients BluesIdol50 Years of RedFive Thieves BluesStepmotherThe Song of Kim JuseokHeartsickRed LocomotiveNight at the Military CampAffliction in the Red House3. Longing for You, My LoveOne HeartLong, Long Winter NightsAh! KBS Educational ChannelMy LoveHow Much I Love YouPlease Deliver Just ThisBlow, South WindThis Lonely LifeI Awaited You, My Love4. Attached to a LifeYouth is a Forking RoadO AzaleasSong of LifePine TreesThoughts of MotherWoman of Pure LoveOak Tree in WinterA ManYour Lover5. WishesBandi (Firefly)Landscape White with SnowWhy I Love WildflowersMe for MyselfThe Whistling ManTodayThe World Where People LiveOpen-minded LifeSow Love, Reap LoveA DreamAfterword: Bandi's Dream - Do Hee-yun