TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – An English translation of the novel "Taiwan Travelogue" by Yang Shuang-zi (楊双子) was shortlisted for the US National Book Award and recently appeared in a book review by the New York Times.
Yang and translator Lin King (金翎) attended a press conference at the Taipei Cultural Center in New York City ahead of the award ceremony on Wednesday (Nov. 20), per CNA.
Yang’s novel is set in 1938, during Japan’s colonial rule of Taiwan, and follows the fictional travels of a female Japanese writer on a year-long assignment covering Taiwan’s culinary tradition. Along the way, the writer falls in love with her new environment and her female translator.
A central theme of the book is how power affects relationships, with the writer-translator relationship mimicking Japan’s colonial rule of Taiwan. And like many travel memoirs, the protagonist undergoes self-reflection while roaming an unfamiliar land.
"It's an honor to come here. Before becoming a novelist, I was a literary researcher. I apologize as I was previously unaware of the importance of the US market for English-language literature," said Yang. She also said that the award should be shared with King.
Yang's book was published in Mandarin in 2020. A Japanese version of the book won Japan's Best Translation Award in 2023. Earning the award was a major milestone, as it was the first time a Taiwanese literary work had earned such distinction.
“Taiwan Travelogue” is the latest work of Taiwanese literature that has gained overseas interest. The book tells an entertaining tale of two women who communicate their story through a shared love of food and overcome language barriers such as Mandarin, Taiwanese, Japanese, and English.
According to King, the attention the book has received in the US has been sudden and unexpected. She was surprised when the New York Times decided to publish its book review.
“It all happened so suddenly, and I didn’t even think it was our work,” said King. She was delighted by the coverage and said the New York Times is one of the most fair and respected book reviews in literature.
