Lin Wanyu's 'A Vague Confession' French Translation Published, Discusses Unrestricted Creation in Taiwan

(Central News Agency, Paris, 10th by reporter Zeng Yixuan) Taiwanese poet Lin Wanyu's poetry collection 'A Vague Confession' has been published in French translation. She took this opportunity to visit France for the first time and attended the Marché de la Poésie in Paris. She said that Taiwan's pop music and literature convey a strong spiritual power, and that in free Taiwan, 'creation can be done without scruples.'

'A Vague Confession' (Une manière confuse de déclarer son amour) is Lin Wanyu's first poetry collection to be translated into French. It was translated by Camille Loivier and published by Circé, recently released in France.

To promote the poetry collection, Lin Wanyu set foot on French soil for the first time, participating in multiple talks and book signings from late May to early June, traveling from Arras in the north, to Paris, and down to Nice in the south.

She was invited to the Marché de la Poésie, where she read poems such as 'Their Conversation' and 'A Vague Confession' aloud, followed by Camille Loivier reading the French versions. The audience was mostly French.

The Marché de la Poésie was held from June 3rd to 7th in the square in front of the Église St-Sulpice in the 6th arrondissement, bringing together over 400 poetry publishers and related publications. Readers and industry professionals were seen talking and browsing poetry collections in every aisle and at every booth, demonstrating a formidable passion for poetry.

In an interview with CNA, Lin said that while poetry is not a very 'popular' art form anywhere in the world, the Marché de la Poésie gathers many poets and publishers. When usually niche creative forms come together, the accumulated energy is astonishing. She found it a special experience to have her work translated and published in France and to be invited for a dialogue with the translator.

She noted that internationally, many people know Taiwan for its tech industry and semiconductors, but Taiwan's pop music and literature also convey the strong spiritual power of its people. 'Because Taiwan is a free place, creation can be done without scruples.' As a lyricist for Warner Chappell, she believes Taiwanese literary works and pop music hold a leading energy within the Chinese-speaking world.

Regarding the idea that 'poetry is untranslatable,' Lin believes that the form of poetry is not meant for narration or factual expression. 'Poetry leaps, poetry hides.' She doesn't mind the view that translation is a form of re-creation, and perhaps the French translation offers a different interpretation from a French cultural perspective.

As an example, Lin asked Camille Loivier to translate the title of her essay collection 'The Love I Didn't Have' into French. When she translated the French title back into Chinese, it became 'The Love I Never Expressed,' slightly different from the original. 'But this isn't actually wrong... this is also a very interesting part of the translation process.'

She said, 'I don't strictly demand that the translation be 100% within my context, because it has found another interpretation, and this interpretation is not wrong.'

At a book signing, a French woman told Lin that listening to her poetry reading made her feel a sense of peace from the words, and it reminded her of her deceased family members.

The reader also said, 'I defend democracy, so I am very worried about Taiwan. I often think of Taiwan and its people, and I support your 'struggle.''

Lin responded that Taiwanese people are very brave and go to work and school normally every day. 'Taiwan's presence in this world is far greater than the size of the island itself.'

During the talk, Lin mentioned that when she edited the '2022 Taiwan Poetry Selection,' she aimed to present different voices from Taiwan as much as possible, given its complex historical background and the existence of various ethnic groups, cultures, and languages.

She also said that in Taiwan, her work is often associated with 'love,' but not necessarily romantic love in a narrow sense. Sometimes it's love between people, love between humans and nature, or a person's love for the world. (Editor: Chen Huiping) 1150610