My Festival Atlantide 2025 and an inspiring story of courage and determination

March 11th, 2025

For the first time in my life, I attended the Atlantide Literary Festival in Nantes!

I have never attended an event like this before. One reason for this is that the event features traditionally published authors and is organized in close collaboration with their publishers. As a self-published writer, I feel somewhat like an outsider at such events, unless I am attending as a reader or a curious visitor ;-)

I am not against traditional publishing. I am just not part of it. As I admired the meticulous organization of the event, with agents bustling around their authors and managing numerous tedious tasks—including marketing, promotions, and overseeing the stock and sales of their books—I couldn't help but imagine how it must feel to arrive like a superstar, to discuss your cherished creation with a professional moderator while seated alongside other great authors, and then to sign books for your grateful fans before retreating to your hotel… It really feels like a dream. And I hope all the participating authors experience it in this way.

At the same time, I was thinking of my own freedom. The freedom to write for my own enjoyment, without pressure and deadlines, without anyone hovering over me or constraining me with a contract. So, no matter how appealing the professional assistance offered by traditional publishing may be, my writing process is what I cherish most. And right now, I cannot allow anyone or anything to diminish this pure pleasure for me.

Anyway, the festival was very interesting. It was invaluable to hear authors speak about their books, sources of inspiration, research process, and the facts and ideas that captivate them. I couldn’t attend all the roundtables that I wanted to, but I gathered enough inspiration to take home with me anyway ;-)

The most magical encounter for me was with the Korean novelist Park Sang Young. I had not heard of him before and had not read his books. However, meeting him at the festival was symbolic for me in many ways: this man has accomplished what I am currently aiming at and has achieved fantastic results! He is living proof that it is possible!!!

Buying his book for me became a MUST. Something non-negotiable. Something I would have done regardless of the story or topic.

But when I heard the brief description of the story at the first roundtable, I knew I wanted to read it.

The book is titled “Love in the Big City”. It explores love in all its forms and manifestations—ranging from romantic love between partners to the affection we feel for our closest friends, and even the admiration a fan has for their favorite artist. The main character is a young gay student who shares an apartment with his female best friend… I mean, wow! Could there be a better point of view to look at the complexity of love, at how we live it within the constraints of society, at how some of its expressions are deemed normal while others are being heavily criticized and even prohibited? Could there be a better perspective to question the “normality” and the “good old ways” that everyone tried so hard to promote and pass down from generation to generation for centuries?

I have traveled to South Korea, and I absolutely love this country. But from my brief visit and the many K-dramas I have watched, I can imagine the tremendous courage and determination it took to write and publish a book like “Love in the Big City”. Even in countries like France, where same-gender relationships can be officially recognized, there are still those who criticize and even hate the LGBTQ+ community.

Park Sang Young explained that when the trailer for the drama based on his book was released, some churches organized marches and protests against it. It scares me to even imagine the immense pressure of that situation and the waves of hatred Park Sang Young, the production company, the directors, and the actors had to face. They stood strong. They worked hard and gave their best efforts. They aired the drama regardless. And it’s AWESOME!

To say that I’m deeply impressed is not enough to describe my admiration. These talented artists poured their essence into their creation and refused to let anyone’s negative opinion sway them into betraying it. They defended it and continue to do so, which I find truly remarkable.

No matter what you do in life, Park Sang Young’s example is such a great inspiration! A story of success that comes to those who remain true to themselves, even when the path they choose is unpopular or widely criticized.

P.S. I almost forgot to mention: the English edition of “Love in the Big City” also includes a note from the translator! Typically, when a translator is given space for notes in a book, it is to provide necessary explanations regarding the context of the story or to clarify specific terms. But here, the translator talks about the story—why he chose to work on it and what he loves about both the story and its author. Interestingly, the Translator’s Note is even longer than the Acknowledgement from the author! To me, this speaks volumes about the relationship between Park Sang Young and his collaborators ;-)

The sincerity of this Translator’s Note moved me and made me smile; the passion for the story is palpable in every word, and it is contagious. Looove it!

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Categories: Inspiring, News, Miscellaneous