Taiwanese Novel 'Taiwan Wanderings' Wins International Booker Prize; Author Yang Shuang-tzu: 'It Is My Fortune and Pride to Be Taiwanese'
The Taiwanese novel 'Taiwan Wanderings' has won the 2026 International Booker Prize at a ceremony in London's Tate Modern, a first for Taiwanese literature. Author Yang Shuang-tzu, in her acceptance speech, declared it her 'fortune and pride' to be Taiwanese, emphasizing that literature cannot be separated from politics. The English translator, Alta L. Price, spoke about her decision to exclusively translate works from Taiwan and her challenge to translation conventions to represent Taiwan's complex, multicultural reality. The £50,000 prize will be shared equally between the author and translator.
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The novel 'Taiwan Wanderings' from Taiwan won the prestigious International Booker Prize in London today. The author, Yang Shuang-tzu, stated in her acceptance speech, 'Being born a Taiwanese person is my good fortune; being able to stand here as a Taiwanese writer is my pride.'
A major event in the English-language literary world, the 2026 International Booker Prize award ceremony was held this evening at London's Tate Modern, where acclaimed novelist Natasha Brown announced the winner and presented the award.
When Yang Shuang-tzu and the English translator of 'Taiwan Wanderings,' Alta L. Price (known by her Chinese name Jin Ling), heard the news from their seats, they leaped up and embraced emotionally, taking the stage together to accept the award.
This is the first time a work of Taiwanese literature has been awarded the International Booker Prize, marking a historic first for both Taiwanese literature and the prize itself.
After accepting the trophy, Yang Shuang-tzu delivered her acceptance speech to an audience of hundreds of arts and culture figures from various countries. She said that while some believe art and literature must be kept separate from politics, 'I believe that literature cannot be separated from the soil in which it grows'; in this respect, 'literature, in essence, has never been divorced from politics.'
Yang pointed out that throughout the history of Taiwanese literature, 'for a hundred years, we have been constantly asking: what kind of future do Taiwanese people want? What kind of nation do Taiwanese people want?' To this day, 'Taiwan Wanderings' is another novel that joins this inquiry.
'Taiwanese people have lived through colonial regimes and faced threats of invasion. In the face of a powerful nation with overwhelming force, is literature useful? — And I have always believed that literature has power.'
Yang said that literature may seem slow, but its actions are always firm. Literature is usually quiet, but that does not stop its beliefs from spreading far and wide. Translation may cause a time lag, but it can cross the limits of time and space.
She said: 'I believe literature has power because, in the world of ideas, literature has never given up on holding its ground, nor has it given up on dialogue with others.'
After thanking Alta L. Price and 'every single person who has made it possible for me to be here,' Yang said she wanted to dedicate her closing words to her homeland.
Yang stated that the century-long inquiry of Taiwanese literature is, in fact, the century-long pursuit of freedom and equality by the Taiwanese people; 'Being able to be born a Taiwanese person is my good fortune; being able to stand here as a Taiwanese writer is my pride.'
Alta L. Price, in turn, said that after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, she made a clear decision: for the foreseeable future, she would no longer translate just any work in the Chinese language, but would only translate creations from Taiwan.
She emphasized that she would continue to do so until the day 'my homeland's (Taiwan's) sovereignty is no longer a provocation or a punchline in the English-speaking world'; until no one can say to her without batting an eye, 'I should really go see Taiwan—while it's still there.'
Price mentioned that in the process of translating 'Taiwan Wanderings,' she deliberately used many strategies considered 'unconventional' in the English publishing world. Although risky, she saw the work as an experimental challenge to the industry's conventions.
Price pointed out that, generally, the premise of translated literature in English is that the translation, and the translator, are best when 'invisible.' But in this book, there are translator's footnotes, a preface, and an afterword, and the same written Chinese characters have three different phonetic systems.
Compared to the original, Price said, the English version requires more effort from the reader because it 'refuses to simplify Taiwan's multilingual, multi-ethnic, and multicultural reality.'
For this very reason, Price initially thought the English version of 'Taiwan Wanderings' would only appeal to a small, niche audience. However, since its publication in the US in 2024, it has received unexpectedly strong attention.
Price noted that the international spotlight has made the book a prominent and shining example in Taiwan, proving that 'we can tell Taiwan's stories abroad.'
However, she stressed, 'no single novel should have to bear the burden of speaking for an entire country.' Her hope for herself and her fellow translators is to 'bring the various voices from Taiwan into the English-speaking world, so that no one can reduce Taiwanese literature to a monolith.'
Price analogized, 'We are not a unison choir, but a cacophony, full of contradiction and unruly spirit—just like any robust democracy.'
She concluded by mentioning that the long gap between the US and UK releases of 'Taiwan Wanderings' was due to the difficulty in finding a UK publisher willing to put the translator's name on the cover, until the independent press And Other Stories stepped up.
'Taiwan Wanderings' was published in the US in 2024 but was not officially launched in the UK until March of this year.
The International Booker Prize rewards works of fiction, and entries must be novels or short story collections translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. After its publication in Taiwan in 2020, 'Taiwan Wanderings' has been translated into Japanese, English, Korean, Finnish, and other languages, with rights sold in a total of 24 countries so far.
The 2026 International Booker Prize of £50,000 (approximately NT$2.1 million) will be divided equally between the author and the translator to highlight the importance of translation.
During a red-carpet interview before the ceremony this evening, when asked by CNA about her future plans, Yang Shuang-tzu humorously replied, 'How about I go all in on TSMC?'; Price said she might take half a year off from work.
A major event in the English-language literary world, the 2026 International Booker Prize award ceremony was held this evening at London's Tate Modern, where acclaimed novelist Natasha Brown announced the winner and presented the award.
When Yang Shuang-tzu and the English translator of 'Taiwan Wanderings,' Alta L. Price (known by her Chinese name Jin Ling), heard the news from their seats, they leaped up and embraced emotionally, taking the stage together to accept the award.
This is the first time a work of Taiwanese literature has been awarded the International Booker Prize, marking a historic first for both Taiwanese literature and the prize itself.
After accepting the trophy, Yang Shuang-tzu delivered her acceptance speech to an audience of hundreds of arts and culture figures from various countries. She said that while some believe art and literature must be kept separate from politics, 'I believe that literature cannot be separated from the soil in which it grows'; in this respect, 'literature, in essence, has never been divorced from politics.'
Yang pointed out that throughout the history of Taiwanese literature, 'for a hundred years, we have been constantly asking: what kind of future do Taiwanese people want? What kind of nation do Taiwanese people want?' To this day, 'Taiwan Wanderings' is another novel that joins this inquiry.
'Taiwanese people have lived through colonial regimes and faced threats of invasion. In the face of a powerful nation with overwhelming force, is literature useful? — And I have always believed that literature has power.'
Yang said that literature may seem slow, but its actions are always firm. Literature is usually quiet, but that does not stop its beliefs from spreading far and wide. Translation may cause a time lag, but it can cross the limits of time and space.
She said: 'I believe literature has power because, in the world of ideas, literature has never given up on holding its ground, nor has it given up on dialogue with others.'
After thanking Alta L. Price and 'every single person who has made it possible for me to be here,' Yang said she wanted to dedicate her closing words to her homeland.
Yang stated that the century-long inquiry of Taiwanese literature is, in fact, the century-long pursuit of freedom and equality by the Taiwanese people; 'Being able to be born a Taiwanese person is my good fortune; being able to stand here as a Taiwanese writer is my pride.'
Alta L. Price, in turn, said that after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, she made a clear decision: for the foreseeable future, she would no longer translate just any work in the Chinese language, but would only translate creations from Taiwan.
She emphasized that she would continue to do so until the day 'my homeland's (Taiwan's) sovereignty is no longer a provocation or a punchline in the English-speaking world'; until no one can say to her without batting an eye, 'I should really go see Taiwan—while it's still there.'
Price mentioned that in the process of translating 'Taiwan Wanderings,' she deliberately used many strategies considered 'unconventional' in the English publishing world. Although risky, she saw the work as an experimental challenge to the industry's conventions.
Price pointed out that, generally, the premise of translated literature in English is that the translation, and the translator, are best when 'invisible.' But in this book, there are translator's footnotes, a preface, and an afterword, and the same written Chinese characters have three different phonetic systems.
Compared to the original, Price said, the English version requires more effort from the reader because it 'refuses to simplify Taiwan's multilingual, multi-ethnic, and multicultural reality.'
For this very reason, Price initially thought the English version of 'Taiwan Wanderings' would only appeal to a small, niche audience. However, since its publication in the US in 2024, it has received unexpectedly strong attention.
Price noted that the international spotlight has made the book a prominent and shining example in Taiwan, proving that 'we can tell Taiwan's stories abroad.'
However, she stressed, 'no single novel should have to bear the burden of speaking for an entire country.' Her hope for herself and her fellow translators is to 'bring the various voices from Taiwan into the English-speaking world, so that no one can reduce Taiwanese literature to a monolith.'
Price analogized, 'We are not a unison choir, but a cacophony, full of contradiction and unruly spirit—just like any robust democracy.'
She concluded by mentioning that the long gap between the US and UK releases of 'Taiwan Wanderings' was due to the difficulty in finding a UK publisher willing to put the translator's name on the cover, until the independent press And Other Stories stepped up.
'Taiwan Wanderings' was published in the US in 2024 but was not officially launched in the UK until March of this year.
The International Booker Prize rewards works of fiction, and entries must be novels or short story collections translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. After its publication in Taiwan in 2020, 'Taiwan Wanderings' has been translated into Japanese, English, Korean, Finnish, and other languages, with rights sold in a total of 24 countries so far.
The 2026 International Booker Prize of £50,000 (approximately NT$2.1 million) will be divided equally between the author and the translator to highlight the importance of translation.
During a red-carpet interview before the ceremony this evening, when asked by CNA about her future plans, Yang Shuang-tzu humorously replied, 'How about I go all in on TSMC?'; Price said she might take half a year off from work.