Reprint of 'Taiwan Travelogue' surges following International Booker Prize win

(CNA, Taipei, May 26) The novel 'Taiwan Travelogue' by Yang Shuang-zi has won the UK's International Booker Prize, leading to a shortage in bookstores. Following an emergency reprint of 70,000 copies last week, an additional 30,000 copies were ordered on the 25th, bringing the total number of copies printed since the award to 100,000. Printing plants are working overtime, with shipments expected to start on the 28th. A CNA reporter visited 'Lilong Printing' in New Taipei City on the 26th, where printing machines were running at full speed. The owner, He Shu-zhong, stated that they have been in a state of readiness since last week, with machines rarely stopping. He noted that orders came in batches: 10,000, then 20,000, then 40,000, totaling 70,000. With the additional 30,000, the total since the award is 100,000, and 140,000 since its 2020 publication. He remarked that such large-scale printing is rare in the current publishing climate. Zhuang Rui-lin, editor-in-chief of Spring Hill Publishing, expressed her joy at the sales power of this generation of novelists. She noted that bookstores are calling for stock, and they are working hard to meet the demand.