From Book Carts to Bags for the Commute Home... Kyobo Book Centre’s ‘A Day in the Life of a Reader’ Exhibition

[Financial News] From a book cart for collecting books to read to a bag carried on the commute home to promote books, an online exhibition brings together objects and stories from an editor’s daily life.
On the 28th, Kyobo Book Centre said its ‘A Day in the Life of a Reader’ exhibition will run through November 30. The first person featured is Lee Yeon-sil, a 20-year veteran editor and CEO of the publishing house Iyagijangsu.
In text written by Lee herself, the exhibition presents her day according to the time of day, from getting ready for work to heading home. It explains why she chose the objects featured in each scene and shares her experience using them, while also showcasing related products.
Lee is the editor behind Kim Hoon’s ‘While Boiling Ramen,’ Lee Seul-a’s ‘The Age of the Female Head of the Household,’ and other books. She wrote ‘How to Make an Essay,’ drawing on her experience as an editor, and in July this year published a revised and expanded edition that added her experiences after founding Iyagijangsu.
Getting ready for work starts with choosing books. First, she gathers on a book cart the books she plans to read, the ones she is currently reading, and those she needs for manuscript work. She treasures glasses given to her by colleagues and writers, and expresses her personal taste with pins and book-shaped earrings.
On her commute to work, fragrance products feature, including a perfume created through a collaboration between Iyagijangsu and a fragrance brand, and sachets inspired by a piece of writing by author Kim Hoon. She also has book sleeves—which protect book covers—embroidered with a character and phrase of her choice, sometimes giving them to acquaintances as gifts.
At the office, she uses a keyboard bearing author Lee Seul-a’s handwriting and sentences. She uses an erasable ballpoint pen to make notes on proofs and books. A typewriter she turns to when writing letters or wanting to create a certain mood also features.
The bag she carries on her commute home becomes a tool for promoting books. She carries books she has produced in a transparent pocket with their covers visible. She remembers the story of a senior colleague who, as a new employee, carried books with their covers facing out to promote them.
The exhibition can be viewed on Kyobo Book Centre’s event page. Thirty participants in the comment event will be chosen by lottery to receive a 5,000-won e-voucher each, and the winners will be announced on December 4.

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