Yang Shuang-zi Suspends Speaking Engagements Due to Vertigo; Readers Offer Support

(CNA Taipei, 31st) Yang Shuang-zi, author of "Taiwan Travelogue" and winner of the International Booker Prize, has publicly announced that she will not accept any speaking engagements for the time being due to vertigo. Today, she posted again, stating that she must significantly reduce "unconscious mental stress," and many readers left messages of support. Yang is currently in South Korea for events, and despite her poor health, she insists on fulfilling her promotional duties to represent Taiwan. Early this morning, Yang posted on Facebook in her "Random Thoughts: Body and Mind Management" series, reiterating that she will "not accept any speaking engagements until 2029" and answering readers' questions about why she went to Korea so soon and what she means by "spiritual detox." Yang stated that she experienced her first-ever vertigo attack on the 3rd of this month, and had experienced minor episodes in her sleep in the days prior. "My vertigo explodes when I turn over in my sleep." Yang said she is still learning to live with vertigo. Since the day she realized turning over triggers it, she has been sleeping upright for over 20 days, only getting up to stretch when her back hurts. She also mentioned her packed schedule in London, where she asked her companion, "Why hasn't my vertigo gone away yet?" to which translator Jin Ling retorted, "With our schedule so packed, why do you think it would get better?" Yang stated that she and her ENT specialist have reached a consensus: "Although I personally believe I can handle this intensity of work, my body clearly cannot keep up." She and her management team made this decision: "For the sake of physical and mental health, I need to reduce my workload and undergo a spiritual detox." After the Korea trip, she will gradually exit non-urgent social groups on LINE and Messenger, stop reading messages on her fan page and personal account, and will no longer accept friend requests, asking for everyone's understanding.