Barbara Zitwer: Happiness, Korean Style: Look Through the Lens of a Different Culture and Refresh Your Life

What can Korean culture teach us about being happier and more fulfilled? New York literary agent and author Barbara Zitwer has spent decades figuring this out, culminating in her book, The Korean Book of Happiness. 

Barbara and Andrew discuss the ancient Korean philosophies of Han, Heung and Jeong (resilience, joy and the art of giving), and Barbara’s experiences staying in a Buddhist temple and meeting with nuns in the mountains. 

They also touch on the exuberant joy of modern Korean culture (which many of us may have experienced via Squid Game, K-pop, the 10-Step skincare routine or Korean daytime dramas).

Barbara J. Zitwer is an international literary agent specialising in Korean literature. She discovered Man Booker prize winning author Hang Kang (The Vegetarian) and New York Times bestseller Kyung-sook Shin (Please Look After Mom) along with Jeong you-jeong (The Good Son) and Un Su Kim (The Plotters).She was awarded the 2016 International Literary Agent of the Year Award by the British Publishing Association. 

If You’re Looking for More….

You can subscribe to The Meaningful Life (via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts) and hear a bonus mini-episode every week. Or you can join our Supporters Club on Patreon to also access exclusive behind-the-scenes content, fan requests  and the chance to ask Andrew your own questions. Membership starts at just £4.50. 

This week supporters will hear:

⭐️How to feed your soul (Korean style).

⭐️Three things Barbara Zitwer knows to be true.

⭐️AND subscribers also access all of our previous bonus content - a rich trove of insight on love, life and meaning created by Andrew and his interviewees.

Follow Up

Read Andrew’s new Substack newsletter The Meaningful Life, and join the community there.

Read Barbara Zitwer’s new book The Korean Book of Happiness

Watch this KBS World Radio interview with Barbara Zitwer about her work promoting Korean literature and culture.

Follow Barbara Zitwer on Facebook @barbara.zitwer, on Instagram @barbarajzitwer and on Twitter/X @BZitwer

You might also enjoy our episodes on How to be Happier with Richard Nicholls; or A Deeper Connection With Everything Through Haiku with Clark Strand.  

Andrew offers regular advice on love, marriage and finding meaning in your life via his social channels. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube @andrewgmarshall