"The Taiwan Travelogue" Wins International Booker Prize; Minister Li Yuan: "Literature Lets the World See Taiwan"

(CNA, Taipei, May 20, reported by Chiu TZU-YIN and Chao Ching-yu) For the first time for Taiwan, "The Taiwan Travelogue," created by author Yang Shuang-zi and translated by Kate Griffin (known in Chinese as Jin Ling), has won the major international literary award, the International Booker Prize. Minister of Culture Li Yuan posted on Facebook immediately, stating, "Thank you to Yang Shuang-zi and Kate Griffin for letting the world see Taiwan." Li mentioned on Facebook that he woke up at 5 a.m. to await the award announcement, saying, "I had a premonition that Yang Shuang-zi and Kate Griffin would win. Because the content of this work is universal, yet its form is innovative, and I feel that now is the time for Taiwanese literary works and Taiwanese culture to stand at the center of the world." Li noted that today marks his second anniversary at the Ministry of Culture, adding, "This good news is the best gift for the Ministry of Culture and Taiwan's cultural community." SpringHill Publishing, which published "The Taiwan Travelogue," also issued a press release on Facebook. In her acceptance speech, Yang Shuang-zi expressed that the century-long inquiry of Taiwanese literature is, in fact, the century-long pursuit of freedom and equality by the Taiwanese people. "To be born a Taiwanese person is my fortune; to be able to stand here as a Taiwanese writer is my pride," she said. Yang stated, "Literature may seem slow, but its actions are always firm; literature is usually quiet, yet it does not hinder the spread of beliefs; translation creates a time lag, but it can cross the limitations of time and space. I believe in the power of literature because, in the world of ideas, literature has never given up on holding its ground, nor has it given up on dialogue with others." Kate Griffin also delivered a speech, stating that when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, she made a clear decision to no longer indiscriminately translate any Sinophone work for the foreseeable future, but to only translate creations from Taiwan. "I will continue to do so until the day my home's sovereignty is no longer a provocation or a joke in the English-speaking world, until no one can say to me, without batting an eye: I really should visit Taiwan—while it's still there." Griffin mentioned that since the English edition of "The Taiwan Travelogue" was published in the U.S. in 2024, it has received unexpectedly strong attention. "The international spotlight has also made this book a prominent and shining example in Taiwan, proving that we can tell Taiwan's stories abroad." According to SpringHill Publishing, rights for "The Taiwan Travelogue" have been sold in 24 countries, with sales exceeding 40,000 copies in Taiwan and over 10,000 each in Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The novel has been licensed to Gaia for a manga adaptation, a musical produced by Wang Hsi-wen, and is also set to be developed into an international co-produced series by World Soft Films. (Editor: Lee Heng-shan)