Mah Chonggi

Celebrated transnational Korean poet/doctor, Mah Chonggi was born in Japan in 1939, the first child of Ma Haesong, pioneer of Korean children’s literature, and the dancer/choreographer Pak Oesun. Mah started writing poetry since he was little, and did his training in medicine at Yonsei University and Seoul National University. He had resident training (1969-71) at The Ohio State University and practiced radiology in Toledo for over thirty years. Since retiring from his medical profession, Mah has been devoted entirely to poetry writing. His poet-physician    duality is inspiration for his unique contribution: bringing humanity and art into the mental space of healing. He has produced dozens of poetry and essay collections including The Invisible Country of Love (1980), The Eyes of the Dew (1997), Smelling Tree in the Birds’ Dream (2002), and The Bare Skin of the Sky (2010). Many of his poems have been translated into French, German, and English. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards including East-West Literature Award (2001), Modern Literary Award (2009), and Republic of Korea National Academy of Arts Award (2017).