Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated City Seeks Citizen Recommendations for 2027 Books of the Year

The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Provincial Library announced a public candidate book recommendation process running through the 18th to select the 2027 Jeonnam-Gwangju Book of the Year, as reported by ikbc.co.kr.

Expanding regional reading culture after integration

The Book of the Year initiative has been expanded and reorganized from the former Jeollanam-do Book of the Year following the official launch of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special Self-Governing Province. The newly structured program aims to broaden participation across Gwangju-area citizens, local libraries, and reading-related organizations. Residents will directly suggest candidate titles and participate in subsequent preference surveys as part of a community-driven reading culture project.

Four categories open for public recommendation

Submissions are open across four distinct categories: children, youth, general literature, and general non-fiction. Any resident of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City can recommend up to two books per category, with a maximum limit of eight selections per person. Eligible titles must be written by domestic authors and published within the past three years. Organizers encourage books that are easy for the general public to read and relate to, fostering communication across different generations and social strata.

Committee will select four final books for 2027

Individual residents can submit recommendations online through the Jeonnam Library website’s designated Book of the Year suggestion section. Libraries, literary groups, and civic organizations must submit official recommendation forms via official administrative mail. A dedicated Book Selection Committee—comprised of regional experts in libraries, literature, reading programs, and education—will evaluate the submissions and narrow the field down to 20 candidate books. Following a public preference survey and a final committee review, the initiative will crown four final titles for 2027, with one winner chosen from each of the four categories.