This cartoon is based on something that really happened — although, as usual, the cartoon version is a slightly exaggerated one.

I was genuinely overjoyed to meet Sora Kim-Russell. Her translations have been an important part of my journey into Korean literature, and many of the books she has translated have shaped the way I first encountered Korean fiction in English.

One of my favourites is I’ll Be Right There by Shin Kyung-sook, translated by Sora Kim-Russell. It is one of those books that stayed with me long after I first read it.

So this cartoon comes from a very real place: the slightly ridiculous, but very sincere, excitement of being a Korean literature fan and meeting someone whose work has meant a lot to you.