Show Notes
What does it really take to become a writer and how do you find the courage to keep writing when you know people are going to judge your work?
In this very special episode of The Bibliofilles, Sophie and Chaya sit down with acclaimed author Min Jin Lee, author of Pachinko, Free Food for Millionaires and American Hagwon, for a wide-ranging conversation about books, identity, education, immigration, ambition and the craft of writing.
Min Jin Lee opens up about her unexpected journey from lawyer to novelist, why she never originally thought writing was a “real job”, and how books have shaped her entire life. She also explains why she sees herself first and foremost as a reader and why she believes the relationship between a writer and their reader is something genuinely special.
The conversation dives deep into American Hagwon, a multi-generational family story exploring education, ambition, identity, family expectations and the immigrant experience. Min Jin Lee discusses the research behind the novel, the complexities of the hagwon education system, and why we need to question the systems we assume are simply “normal”.
She also reflects on growing up between Korea and America, the experience of feeling like an outsider in both places, and how immigration and identity have shaped her characters and storytelling.
There’s also a fascinating discussion about parental expectations, the lives we don't live, hidden talents, religion, ambition and the gifts we leave unexplored plus Min Jin Lee reveals what her next novel is about.
And yes, we also talk about Pachinko. 📚
In this episode, we discuss:
Min Jin Lee's journey from lawyer to writer
Why books “saved her life”
The making of Free Food for Millionaires and Pachinko
American Hagwon and the pressure of education
The immigrant experience and cultural identity
Korean hagwon education and academic pressure
Parenting, ambition and inherited expectations
Religion, community and hierarchy
How Min Jin Lee approaches research and character development
Why she doesn't think of writing as self-expression
Trusting readers rather than worrying about critics
The inspiration behind her next novel, Marshall Plan
📚 Books Mentioned
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee 👉 https://link.amazon/B0g85u4Pb
American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee 👉 https://link.amazon/B0dLwhE31
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry 👉 https://link.amazon/B08pJTcA2
A House for Mr Biswas by V. S. Naipaul 👉 https://link.amazon/B0fr0lSre
Clay Walls by R. K. Narayan 👉 https://link.amazon/B07N3fO5g
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