Yeonnam-Dong's Smiley Laundromat

A mysterious diary left in a cozy laundromat brings together residents from all walks of life – a heartwarming, K-healing fiction debut in the vein of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

Situated in a rapidly gentrifying district of Seoul, Yeonnam-Dong's Smiley Laundromat is a place where the extraordinary stories of ordinary residents unfold. Furnished with a coffee machine, a full bookshelf, and warm lighting, it is a haven from the world for many locals.

And when a notebook is left behind there, it becomes a place that brings people together. One by one, customers start jotting down candid diary entries, opening their hearts and inviting acts of kindness from neighbours who were once just faces in the crowd.

But there is darker story behind the notebook, and before long the laundromat's regulars are teaming up to solve the mystery and put the world to rights.

Instantly capturing the hearts of Korean readers, this is a novel about the preciousness of human relationships and the power of solidarity in a world that is increasingly cold, fast-paced, and virtual.

About the Author

Kim Jiyun was born in 1992 and raised in Seoul. She studied at Dankook University, majoring in creative writing for four years. She also attended the Korean Broadcasting Writers' Association training centre to learn how to write for screen, and later completed a drama course. One day, while walking down the noisy streets of Hongdae at night, she suddenly saw a laundromat with soft yellow lights on, and that gave her the first sentence of Yeonnam-dong's Smiley Laundromat, her first novel. She now writes full time.

About the Translator

Shanna Tan is a literary translator based in Singapore, translating from Korean, Chinese and Japanese. She spends her time with languages—reading, teaching, translating and writing. Elsewhere on the Internet, she writes about self-studying foreign languages and her love for books. Credits include translating Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, by Hwang Bo-reum.