'Ghost Town' Becomes Bestseller in Ukraine; Taiwanese Literature Appears at Kyiv Book Fair
Taiwanese literature was showcased at the International Book Arsenal Festival, one of Ukraine's largest literary events. The Ukrainian translation of Chen Sihong's novel 'Ghost Town' has become a bestseller, and the Ukrainian version of Yang Shuangzi's 'Taiwan Travelogue,' which recently won the International Booker Prize, is also scheduled for release this year. The translator noted many commonalities between Taiwan and Ukraine in terms of historical experience and values of freedom.
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(Central News Agency correspondent Chen Yanting, Kyiv, 3rd) Taiwanese literature made an appearance at the International Book Arsenal Festival, one of Ukraine's largest literary events. The Ukrainian translation of author Chen Sihong's novel 'Ghost Town' has become a bestseller, and the Ukrainian version of 'Taiwan Travelogue' by Yang Shuangzi, which recently won the International Booker Prize, is also scheduled for release this year. The translator believes there are many commonalities between Taiwan and Ukraine in terms of historical experience and values of freedom.
Translator Oleksandra Bespala, who translated 'Ghost Town' and Yeh Yantu's 'Green Monkey Plague,' said in an interview with CNA that upon deeper reading, the worldviews of the people of Taiwan and Ukraine are actually quite close.
She said that both regions have been influenced by colonial history and equally value freedom of speech and personal autonomy. "Our views on history, the impact of the colonial past, the thirst for freedom of speech, the freedom of individual autonomy, and the desire to build a free society are actually very similar," she said.
Bespala also participated in translating 'Taiwan Travelogue,' spending nearly a year researching Taiwanese culture, language, ethnic groups, and culinary background. She pointed out that the work is written in the form of a "fictional translation," with author Yang Shuangzi using the framework of translating a Japanese female writer's travelogue as the narrative structure. Therefore, translators must pay special attention to the layers of the text to faithfully present the original design.
Regarding translation challenges, Bespala said that cultural differences are often more difficult than linguistic ones. She noted that 'Ghost Town' involves a large number of elements related to Taiwanese temple culture, religious customs, and folk beliefs, including characters like those from Buddhism, Taoism, and spirit mediums. Since Ukrainian society is predominantly Orthodox Christian, even if readers have some knowledge of Asian culture, they may not fully understand all the details. Therefore, the translator must find a balance between preserving cultural characteristics and enhancing reading comprehension.
At the International Book Arsenal Festival, a booth showcasing Asian literature and cultural works attracted many visitors. On display were translations of works by Taiwanese authors such as Sanmao's 'Stories of the Sahara,' Kuo Chiang-sheng's 'The Piano Tuner,' and Yeh Yantu's 'Green Monkey Plague,' as well as books on Asian film culture and Japanese kimonos. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also visited the booth to learn about the publications and purchased the novel 'Almond' by South Korean author Sohn Won-pyung.
Svitlana Pryzynchuk, founder of Safran, a Kyiv-based publishing house specializing in Asian literature, said that after returning from her work in China in 2015, she found that works directly translated from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean into Ukrainian were very limited in the Ukrainian market. The main reason was that during the Soviet era, studying Asian culture under communism was seen as bourgeois nationalism and carried negative political connotations. Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, books related to Asia remained relatively scarce.
However, given Asia's booming development, she decided to establish the publishing house in 2018 to introduce more Asian literature. She said that after years of effort, the publishing house has published about 50 translated works from Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, with over 20 more translations currently in progress. Future publications will include works such as Taiwanese author Hsiao Wei-hsuan's 'Before Becoming a Monster' and Japanese author Ishida Sachi's 'Cat Prescription.' During this year's book fair, many readers actively inquired whether the Ukrainian version of 'Taiwan Travelogue' would be published.
Regarding the criteria for selecting books, Pryzynchuk said that in addition to the theme, she also considers the market reaction and reviews in the original country of publication. She believes that works like Wu Ming-yi's 'The Stolen Bicycle' and Chen Sihong's 'Ghost Town' successfully integrate Taiwanese history and cultural elements, making them attractive to Ukrainian readers.
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukrainian society has refocused on its native language and culture. Coupled with the government's ban on the import of Russian-language books, the Ukrainian-language publishing market has grown. Pryzynchuk stated that the gradual withdrawal of Russian-language books from the market has created more development space for Ukrainian-language publishers. However, the war has been ongoing for years, and many people have reduced their reading due to prolonged stress. She hopes that after the war ends, readers will return to the world of books, injecting new vitality into Ukrainian culture. (Editor: Chen Huiping) 1150603
Translator Oleksandra Bespala, who translated 'Ghost Town' and Yeh Yantu's 'Green Monkey Plague,' said in an interview with CNA that upon deeper reading, the worldviews of the people of Taiwan and Ukraine are actually quite close.
She said that both regions have been influenced by colonial history and equally value freedom of speech and personal autonomy. "Our views on history, the impact of the colonial past, the thirst for freedom of speech, the freedom of individual autonomy, and the desire to build a free society are actually very similar," she said.
Bespala also participated in translating 'Taiwan Travelogue,' spending nearly a year researching Taiwanese culture, language, ethnic groups, and culinary background. She pointed out that the work is written in the form of a "fictional translation," with author Yang Shuangzi using the framework of translating a Japanese female writer's travelogue as the narrative structure. Therefore, translators must pay special attention to the layers of the text to faithfully present the original design.
Regarding translation challenges, Bespala said that cultural differences are often more difficult than linguistic ones. She noted that 'Ghost Town' involves a large number of elements related to Taiwanese temple culture, religious customs, and folk beliefs, including characters like those from Buddhism, Taoism, and spirit mediums. Since Ukrainian society is predominantly Orthodox Christian, even if readers have some knowledge of Asian culture, they may not fully understand all the details. Therefore, the translator must find a balance between preserving cultural characteristics and enhancing reading comprehension.
At the International Book Arsenal Festival, a booth showcasing Asian literature and cultural works attracted many visitors. On display were translations of works by Taiwanese authors such as Sanmao's 'Stories of the Sahara,' Kuo Chiang-sheng's 'The Piano Tuner,' and Yeh Yantu's 'Green Monkey Plague,' as well as books on Asian film culture and Japanese kimonos. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also visited the booth to learn about the publications and purchased the novel 'Almond' by South Korean author Sohn Won-pyung.
Svitlana Pryzynchuk, founder of Safran, a Kyiv-based publishing house specializing in Asian literature, said that after returning from her work in China in 2015, she found that works directly translated from Chinese, Japanese, and Korean into Ukrainian were very limited in the Ukrainian market. The main reason was that during the Soviet era, studying Asian culture under communism was seen as bourgeois nationalism and carried negative political connotations. Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, books related to Asia remained relatively scarce.
However, given Asia's booming development, she decided to establish the publishing house in 2018 to introduce more Asian literature. She said that after years of effort, the publishing house has published about 50 translated works from Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, with over 20 more translations currently in progress. Future publications will include works such as Taiwanese author Hsiao Wei-hsuan's 'Before Becoming a Monster' and Japanese author Ishida Sachi's 'Cat Prescription.' During this year's book fair, many readers actively inquired whether the Ukrainian version of 'Taiwan Travelogue' would be published.
Regarding the criteria for selecting books, Pryzynchuk said that in addition to the theme, she also considers the market reaction and reviews in the original country of publication. She believes that works like Wu Ming-yi's 'The Stolen Bicycle' and Chen Sihong's 'Ghost Town' successfully integrate Taiwanese history and cultural elements, making them attractive to Ukrainian readers.
Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, Ukrainian society has refocused on its native language and culture. Coupled with the government's ban on the import of Russian-language books, the Ukrainian-language publishing market has grown. Pryzynchuk stated that the gradual withdrawal of Russian-language books from the market has created more development space for Ukrainian-language publishers. However, the war has been ongoing for years, and many people have reduced their reading due to prolonged stress. She hopes that after the war ends, readers will return to the world of books, injecting new vitality into Ukrainian culture. (Editor: Chen Huiping) 1150603
FAQ
How is Taiwanese literature received in Ukraine?
It resonates with Ukrainian readers due to shared experiences of colonialism and values of freedom, with Chen Sihong's 'Ghost Town' becoming a bestseller.
Which Taiwanese literary works have been translated into Ukrainian?
Works include 'Ghost Town,' 'Green Monkey Plague,' 'Stories of the Sahara,' and 'The Piano Tuner,' with 'Taiwan Travelogue' scheduled for release this year.
What is Safran Publishing?
It is a Kyiv-based publishing house specializing in Asian literature, having translated about 50 works from Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea into Ukrainian.