Amélie Nothomb, the enfant terrible of contemporary French literature, was born in Japan. Historically bound to the Far East, her works could not fail to make it to Korean shores. In Korean translation as much as in French, Nothomb's short novels are punchy literary jewels, often cruel and always witty.

Open Books has published eight novels by Amélie Nothomb between 1999 and 2006, including many of her early and most representative works such as Loving Sabotage (Le sabotage amoureux) and The Stranger Next Door (Les Catilinaires). Her 20th novel, Tuer le père, was published in October 2012, marking Nothomb's most welcome return in Open Books' catalogue. The translation of her 2017 novel Frappe-toi le coeur is scheduled to be published in 2020. A theater adaptation of her previous novel, Riquet à la houppe, was staged at the Seoul Arts Center in the Spring of 2019.

Open Books' original cover artwork made by Yunmee Kyong gives a unique look and feel to this relatively compact but mighty collection of works. A retrospective exhibition of 13 Nothomb book covers by Yunmee Kyong was held in the Gwanghwalang gallery in Seoul in March 2019.