Tanya Ko-Hong

Poet, Translator

Rolling Hills Estates, CA
California US
Twitter/X: 

Author's Bio

Tanya (Hyonhye) Ko Hong is a internationally published poet, translator, and cultural-curator who champions bilingual poetry and poets. Born and raised in Suk Su Dong, South Korea, she immigrated to the US at the age of eighteen. She is the author of fivebooks:The War Still Within(forthcoming from KYSO Flash Press, 2019),Mother to Myself: A collection of poems in Korean(Prunsasang Press, 2015), Yellow Flowers on a Rainy Day(Oma Books, 2003), Mother’s Diary of Generation(Qumran, 2002), and Generation One Point Five(Esprit 1993). 

Her poetry appears in Rattle, Beloit Poetry Journal, Cultural Weekly, The Feminist Press, Lunch Ticket, great weather for MEDIA, Califragile, Choson Iibo, Korea Times, Korea Central Daily News, and the Aeolian Harp Series Anthology, among others. Tanya’s work has won the Yun Doon-ju Korean-American Literature Award, was a finalist in Frontier’s Chapbook Contest, and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

In 2015, her segmented poem “Comfort Woman” received an honorable mention from the Women’s National Book Association. In 2015 and 2018, she became the first person to translate and publish Arthur Sze’s poems in Korean. Tanya holds an MFA degree from Antioch University in Los Angeles, California, and is a Ph.D. student in Mythological Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute. She lives in southern California  with her husband and three children.  

 

Publications & Prizes

Poetry

Anthologies:
Accolades (Jamii Publishing, 2020)
,
Birds Fall Silent in the Mechanical Sea (Great weather for MEDIA, 2019)
,
WSQ Asian Diasporas (Feminist Press at CUNY, 2019)
,
The Other Side of Violet (Great weather for MEDIA, 2017)
Book:
The War Still Within: Poems of the Korean Diaspora (KYSO Flash Press, 2019)

Translation

Journals:
Defunct, a poem by Shin Saimdang, translated from the Korean
;
Defunct, a poem by So Hyun Chang , translated from the Korean
;
Defunct, a poem by So Hyun Chang, translated from the Korean
;
Lunch Ticket, a poem by Na Hye-sok, translated from the Korean
;
Lunch Ticket, a poem by Na, Hye-sok , translated from the Korean
;
Lunch Ticket, a poem by Na, Hye-Sok , translated from the Korean
Prizes won: 

 

DritËro Agolli Award at the International KorÇare Poetry Festival for “Do You Believe in Spring” 2022 

Ko Won’s 10th Literary Award for “The War Still Within” Poetry Book 2020

55th Moon Prize "The Way to Cross  the Desert" 2020

Best Small Fictions Nomination “The Crying Game” 2020

 

Pushcart Nomination “The War Still Inside You” 2018

 

Yoon Don Ju Literary Award (1st Korean-American Winner) 2018

 

Semi-Finalist Jack Grapes Poetry Contest 2018

 

Awarded Funding from Korean Cultural Center 2018

 

Finalist The Frontier Digital Chapbook Contest 2018

 

Semi-Finalist The Stories That Need To Be Told 2018

 

Finalist Ko Won Literature Award 2017

 

Honorable Mention Jack Grapes Poetry Contest 2017

 

Moon Prize for “Comfort Woman” 2017

 

Finalist “Mustard Flowers Falling,” Los Angeles Poets Society 2017

 

Interview: “Tanya Ko, American Poet, Invited to PEN International Congress of Writers Writing in Korean” 2015

 

Honorable Mention for “Comfort Woman,” Women’s National Book Association 2015

 

Daesan Foundation Grant 2015

 

Art & Poetry Exhibit The Korea Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 1992

 

Art & Poetry Exhibit The Korea Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 1990

 

First Prize The Echo’s Literary Contest in Poetry 1987

 

Second Place The Korean American Christian Writer’s Association 1987

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
Asian American
Prefers to work with: 
Any
Fluent in: 
English, Korean
Born in: 
Suk Su Dong
South Korea
Raised in: 
Suk Su Dong
South Korea
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Jul 01, 2022