1949년 인천에서 태어나 1972년 『동아일보』 신춘문예에 문학평론으로 등단했다. 계간 『창작과비평』 편집주간, 인천문화재단 대표이사, 한국작가회의 이사장을 역임하고 현재 인하대 명예교수로 있다. 평론집 『민족문학의 논리』 『생산적 대화를 위하여』 『문학의 귀환』 『제국 이후의 동아시아』 『소수자의 옹호』 『문학과 진보』, 연구서 『한국근대소설사론』 『한국 근대문학을 찾아서』 『한국계몽주의문학사론』 『문학』 『이순신을 찾아서』 등이 있다. 대산문학상, 임화문학예술상 등을 수상했다.
Born in 1949 in Incheon, Choi Won-sik studied Korean literature (BA and MA) at Seoul National University. He made his literary debut with the selection of his literary criticism in the annual contest hosted by the daily Dong-A Ilbo in 1972. He served as a professor at Keimyung University and Yeungnam University during 1977-82. He received a Ph D in 1986 for “A Study of the Literary Works of Yi Hae-jo” at Seoul National University. Currently a professor at Inha University, he has authored: The Logic of National Literature, A Treatise on the History of Modern Korean Fiction, The Theory of National Literature in Korea(published in Japan), For a Productive Dialogue, In Search of Modern Korean Literature, The Wind That Blows across the Yellow Sea, and The Return of Literature; and edited A Treatise on the History of Modern Korean Literature and East Asian Literature in an Age of Transition. He has received the 9th Daesan Literary Prize for The Return of Literature.
