New audiobook alert! I had the pleasure of narrating the audiobook for Orange and the Bread Knife, released 18th June 2026.
This was the first time I’ve had an audiobook offer come to me with a ‘heads up’ over some of the featured scenes, which certainly piqued my curiosity…
After I finished reading the manuscript, the story lingered in my thoughts for days.
The novel follows Youngah, a warm-hearted schoolteacher who has spent her life trying to meet everyone else’s expectations. When she volunteers for an experimental treatment designed to regulate her emotions, she finds herself confronting a radically different version of herself.
This is a gripping, thought-provoking, and (I think it would be fair to say) slightly unsettling story that explores the pressures of modern society and the masks we wear for others. There is a tension between identity and conformity, which I think is especially characteristic of the society from which the novel came. Author Cheong Ye is an emerging Korean novelist whose work blends psychological realism with speculative ideas, creating stories that feel both unsettling and deeply relatable. Orange and the Bread Knife was originally published in Korea in 2024, and has since drawn praise for its sharp social commentary.
The novel now reaches English language readers thanks to translator Slin Jung – a name I have grown accustomed to saying, having narrated her translations before! The previous most recent of these works was A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by author Lee Onhwa, released 11th November 2025.
Translation is an art in itself; Slin Jung’s work beautifully preserved the novel’s distinctive voice. I found her chapter at the end, where she describes her struggle with how to translate a certain key part of the story for which there was no direct English translation, fascinating. It resonated with me as a half Korean narrator, as when I read these English language translations I often get a sense of the original Korean writing beneath, and see where the translator has decided to make certain choices.
I hope listeners find themselves just as captivated by Youngah’s journey as I was while recording it!
