Korean literature began as little seeds blown by the wind and carried across the world by devoted literary agents, talented translators, editors and publishers, none of whom were familiar with Korean writing even a decade ago. They started to give platforms and opportunities to authors who grew steadily in popularity, and today, the hunger for Korean books in all genres is limitless. There is a universality to the best of Korean books, and that is what makes them so appealing to everyone in the world. They are exotic as well as familiar to us.
To the Greeks, it was founded by the son of a god. The Romans saw it as the centre of the Eastern empire; and the Ottomans turned it into an architectural and cultural jewel. The city now known as Istanbul has experienced rises and falls, triumphs and invasions, destructions and rebirths. Paul Bloomfield speaks to Bettany Hughes about the rich history of this crossroads of the world.
Book Club: Perhaps the moral here is that gorging on dubious victory inevitably leaves a bad taste thestar.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thestar.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.