Wu Ming-Yi and Liao Hung-chi Attend Prague International Book Fair to Share Taiwan's Maritime Culture
Taiwanese authors Wu Ming-Yi and Liao Hung-chi participated in the Prague International Book Fair, sharing their creative processes for works like 'The Man with the Compound Eyes' and 'Fish Dreaming Fish' to promote Taiwanese literature in Europe.
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Central News Agency (CNA) reporter Liu Yu-ting, Prague, 16th May. The Prague International Book Fair opened this week. Mi:Lu Publishing, which has long been promoting Taiwanese literature, participated in the fair and invited Taiwanese authors Wu Ming-Yi and Liao Hung-chi to attend. They shared their creative processes and Taiwan's maritime culture based on their Czech-translated works, 'The Man with the Compound Eyes' and 'Fish Dreaming Fish', and interacted with readers.
The 31st Prague International Book Fair is held from the 14th to the 17th. With the support of the Ministry of Culture's '2026 Europe Taiwan Culture Year' and 'Taiwan Cultural Spotlight Project', the Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Czech Republic partnered with Mi:Lu Publishing to participate in the fair, introducing excellent Taiwanese literature in translation to Czech readers and increasing the visibility of Taiwanese literature in Central Europe.
The Czech editions of Wu Ming-Yi's 'The Man with the Compound Eyes' (Muž s fasetovýma očima) and Liao Hung-chi's 'Fish Dreaming Fish' (Rybí snění) were both published by Mi:Lu Publishing.
Regarding Taiwanese literature entering the Czech market, Wu Ming-Yi told CNA in an interview: 'Europe as a whole is like countless small markets, and the focus of each market is different, so a catalyst is needed. This catalyst is sometimes a translator or a publisher who loves Taiwanese literature.'
After his works were translated into Czech, Wu observed that many Czech readers initially had impressions of Taiwan that were still stuck as part of Chinese culture. However, through the writing about indigenous peoples and the depiction of natural landscapes in his novels, they began to see a Taiwan different from their established impressions.
Wu Ming-Yi indicated that readers everywhere read Taiwanese literature based on their own cultural experiences. For example, in Nordic countries like Norway and Sweden, since they are maritime nations and many people own boats and go out to sea whenever they want, they have a deep understanding of the sea.
He said that although Taiwan is a maritime nation, due to the long-term sea ban policy during the martial law era in the past, people could not go to sea freely, so Taiwanese people have not built a truly deep relationship with the ocean.
Wu Ming-Yi stated that maritime culture is not just about seeing the sea, but incorporating the ocean into daily life, such as living on the sea, going out fishing, etc. 'When Nordic people read our works, they feel that you seem to be a maritime nation, but also seem not to be.'
Liao Hung-chi shared with CNA reporters that his book 'Fish Dreaming Fish' is a collection of 52 extremely short stories about 52 fish. Because he himself 'loves fish too much' and often encounters fish in his dreams, the idea of writing based on dreams was born.
Talking about the relationship between Taiwan and the ocean, Liao Hung-chi believes that as an island nation, Taiwan possesses unique marine resources, but social understanding of the ocean is still insufficient. He hopes to let the public know and respect the ocean through literature and maritime education. 'Don't wait until one day when even basic resources disappear to feel sorry.'
As both a fisherman and a writer, he also shared his creative method. Because the deck is unstable while at sea, it is not very suitable for writing, but Liao has a very profound memory of the images and encounters seen at sea, so whenever he returns to shore on days when he doesn't go out to sea, he organizes data and writes.
To him, the ocean is like a field that continues to be cultivated: 'As long as I can go to sea, my observation will not stop, and my writing will not stop, so I can write for as long as I can go to sea.'
Regarding this invitation to Prague to participate in book fair activities, Liao Hung-chi said: 'I feel very honored to be able to go abroad to introduce Taiwan's sea and Taiwan's maritime culture.'
Czech reader Tereza stated that she has long held a high interest in Taiwanese literature. In the process of reading, she found that many works often describe the ocean and the life of fishermen, which sparked her thinking about the relationship between people and the sea. She believes that the ocean often symbolizes freedom and openness in the works, and it profoundly influences the narrative atmosphere and emotional expression.
She added that this kind of subject matter is particularly attractive to her because the Czech Republic is a landlocked country and does not border the sea, 'For us, the sea is more like a fairytale existence.'
The 31st Prague International Book Fair is held from the 14th to the 17th. With the support of the Ministry of Culture's '2026 Europe Taiwan Culture Year' and 'Taiwan Cultural Spotlight Project', the Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Czech Republic partnered with Mi:Lu Publishing to participate in the fair, introducing excellent Taiwanese literature in translation to Czech readers and increasing the visibility of Taiwanese literature in Central Europe.
The Czech editions of Wu Ming-Yi's 'The Man with the Compound Eyes' (Muž s fasetovýma očima) and Liao Hung-chi's 'Fish Dreaming Fish' (Rybí snění) were both published by Mi:Lu Publishing.
Regarding Taiwanese literature entering the Czech market, Wu Ming-Yi told CNA in an interview: 'Europe as a whole is like countless small markets, and the focus of each market is different, so a catalyst is needed. This catalyst is sometimes a translator or a publisher who loves Taiwanese literature.'
After his works were translated into Czech, Wu observed that many Czech readers initially had impressions of Taiwan that were still stuck as part of Chinese culture. However, through the writing about indigenous peoples and the depiction of natural landscapes in his novels, they began to see a Taiwan different from their established impressions.
Wu Ming-Yi indicated that readers everywhere read Taiwanese literature based on their own cultural experiences. For example, in Nordic countries like Norway and Sweden, since they are maritime nations and many people own boats and go out to sea whenever they want, they have a deep understanding of the sea.
He said that although Taiwan is a maritime nation, due to the long-term sea ban policy during the martial law era in the past, people could not go to sea freely, so Taiwanese people have not built a truly deep relationship with the ocean.
Wu Ming-Yi stated that maritime culture is not just about seeing the sea, but incorporating the ocean into daily life, such as living on the sea, going out fishing, etc. 'When Nordic people read our works, they feel that you seem to be a maritime nation, but also seem not to be.'
Liao Hung-chi shared with CNA reporters that his book 'Fish Dreaming Fish' is a collection of 52 extremely short stories about 52 fish. Because he himself 'loves fish too much' and often encounters fish in his dreams, the idea of writing based on dreams was born.
Talking about the relationship between Taiwan and the ocean, Liao Hung-chi believes that as an island nation, Taiwan possesses unique marine resources, but social understanding of the ocean is still insufficient. He hopes to let the public know and respect the ocean through literature and maritime education. 'Don't wait until one day when even basic resources disappear to feel sorry.'
As both a fisherman and a writer, he also shared his creative method. Because the deck is unstable while at sea, it is not very suitable for writing, but Liao has a very profound memory of the images and encounters seen at sea, so whenever he returns to shore on days when he doesn't go out to sea, he organizes data and writes.
To him, the ocean is like a field that continues to be cultivated: 'As long as I can go to sea, my observation will not stop, and my writing will not stop, so I can write for as long as I can go to sea.'
Regarding this invitation to Prague to participate in book fair activities, Liao Hung-chi said: 'I feel very honored to be able to go abroad to introduce Taiwan's sea and Taiwan's maritime culture.'
Czech reader Tereza stated that she has long held a high interest in Taiwanese literature. In the process of reading, she found that many works often describe the ocean and the life of fishermen, which sparked her thinking about the relationship between people and the sea. She believes that the ocean often symbolizes freedom and openness in the works, and it profoundly influences the narrative atmosphere and emotional expression.
She added that this kind of subject matter is particularly attractive to her because the Czech Republic is a landlocked country and does not border the sea, 'For us, the sea is more like a fairytale existence.'