Indonesian work wins top prize in 9th Taiwan Literature Awards for Migrants

Taipei, Oct. 14 (CNA) Writer Chin Nyap Fong (陳業芳) won First Prize in the ninth Taiwan Literature Awards for Migrants, receiving a trophy and a cash prize of NT$150,000 (US$4,660).

Her award-winning piece, "Titik Hitam Seorang Rika" (Rika's Black Spot), is about cultural differences and the search for recognition, according to the organizers.

Chin, a naturalized Taiwanese citizen, said in an interview that her work, primarily written in Indonesian, also includes Taiwanese Hokkien and Hakka to show that "Taiwan really is that rich [in culture]."

Chin also translated her own work into Chinese.

The Jury Prize was given to Trần Minh Hợp's (陳明合) Vietnamese-language piece "Sự Sống" (Vitality), which also won a Teen Choice Award.

Choice Awards were given to Ririn Arumsari for her "Sebuah Kenangan" ("A Memory"), written in Indonesian, Sri Lestari's "DEBU KECIL DI NEGERI SIM SALABIM" ("Fine Dust of the Magical Nation"), also in Indonesian, and "Vải trái tim" ("Lychee of the Heart") by Đức Mạnh (鄭德孟), written in Vietnamese.

Two other Teen Choice Awards were given to Thai piece "ไต้หวัน" ความหวังเงินตราและการจากลา ... ตลอดกาล" ("Taiwan" -- the Hope of Money, and Everlasting ... Farewell") by Thanawan Thanapathtadasakul as well as "Ang Pinakamalungkot na Trahedya ng Aking Buhay" (The Saddest Tragedy of my Life), written by Marvin Joaquin Alamag in Tagalog.

Each prize winner receives a trophy and a cash prize. The Jury Award winner receives NT$80,000, while Choice Award and Teen Choice Award winners receive NT$20,000.

The First Prize winner not only receives NT$150,000 but also the chance for their work to be developed into a film or television series.

The Taiwan Literature Awards for Migrants accepts submissions written in Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Burmese by migrant workers, immigrants and their children in Taiwan or elsewhere in the world, according to its organizers.

Shortlisted works selected by juries in the original language were then translated into Chinese for the final jury and teen jury, who picked out the final winners.

The awards ceremony was held Sunday at the Shanjia Railway Station in New Taipei's Shulin District.

The final jury this year consisted of Taiwanese writer Chang Ta-chuen (張大春), writer and actress Joanne Deng (鄧九雲), documentary director Ke Wan-ching (柯妧青), journalism scholar Fang Nien-hsuan (方念萱) and publisher Liao Chih-feng (廖志峰), aiming for diverse perspectives from diverse backgrounds, organizers said.

A total of 208 pieces were submitted to the awards, including 77 in Indonesian, 56 in Vietnamese, 47 in Tagalog, 19 in Burmese and nine in Thai, according to organizers.