NMTL's 'Translation Arena' Invites Global Translators to Tackle Taiwanese Poetry

(Tainan, June 16, CNA reporter Chang Jung-hsiang) The National Museum of Taiwanese Literature (NMTL) announced today that the 'Translation Arena' poetry translation competition is now open for submissions until September 1, inviting global translators to take on the challenge of translating Taiwanese poetry. This year's theme centers on the Taiwanese Hokkien poems by emerging poet Wen Ruqiao.

NMTL stated that the 'Translation Arena' poetry translation contest is jointly organized by the museum, the Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation at Trinity College Dublin, and the Taipei Representative Office in Ireland.

For this year's competition, Wen Ruqiao's Taiwanese Hokkien poems serve as the annual theme text. Three poems—'Mutual Words,' 'Silent Without Speech,' and 'Walking Flower'—selected from her poetry collection 'Sunlight Flickers,' invite translators to experience the sonic rhythms and emotional depth of Taiwanese Hokkien poetry through English translation.

The translation contest accepts online entries. The jury will consist of representatives from Trinity College Dublin's Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation and poetry critics appointed by NMTL, who will select outstanding translations. Winning translators will be invited to a 2026 exchange event in November to share their translation philosophies and creative experiences with poets and fellow translators.

NMTL explained that 'Translation Arena,' founded in 2021, aims to build an international platform connecting Taiwanese and Irish poetic traditions. Past competition themes have included Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, Indigenous languages, and Mandarin literary works, fostering cross-cultural connections with readers from diverse linguistic backgrounds.

Wen Ruqiao is a writer, clinical psychologist, translator, and advocate for the promotion of Taiwanese Hokkien. Her poems 'Mutual Words,' 'Silent Without Speech,' and 'Walking Flower' reveal the nuanced layers of Taiwanese Hokkien in everyday expression, emotional articulation, and phonetic rhythm, showcasing the language's vitality as a contemporary literary medium. (Edited by Chang Ming-kun) 1150616

Stand with the facts. Your support is the force that protects press freedom.

Download the CNA 'First-Hand News' app to instantly access the latest updates.

Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.