www.theguardian.com
5 months agoI repeatedly failed to win any awards': my doomed career as a North Korean novelist
North Korea has an elaborate bureaucracy for artistic production, influenced by the Soviet system under Stalin.
Literature is an important tool for promoting the cult of personality surrounding the North Korean leaders.
Writers in North Korea face strict rules and competition for success, but also enjoy perks such as creativity leave and special housing privileges. [ more ]