Taiwanese author Li Ang to appear at French literature festival

Taipei, March 7 (CNA) Renowned Taiwanese author Li Ang (李昂) will participate in this year's Atlantide Literature Festival, which runs from March 6 to 9 in the French city of Nantes, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Culture (MOC).

At the festival, Li Ang will present the French version of her latest short story collection "Passion Foods (鴛鴦春膳)," which comprises eight pieces that explore Taiwanese heritage through food - for example, curry rice and beef noodle soup - while reflecting on Taiwan's political and social developments over the past century, the MOC said in a statement this week.

Li is also set to hold a book signing and meet-and-greet event, according to the statement.

Now in its 13th edition, the Atlantide Literature Festival brings together 57 writers from 25 countries this year, offering more than 90 activities under such themes as social justice, poetic language, gender, and environmental issues, the MOC said.

One of the most progressive literary festivals of its kind, Atlantide is committed to defending freedom of expression and imagination, according to the press release.

This year, the festival will host an "Anti-Censorship Evening" event that will showcase obscure or overlooked literary works that were censored shortly after their publication, underscoring the power of writing as a means of free expression, the MOC said.

Li, born Shih Shu-tuan (施淑端) in the central Taiwan city of Lukang, Changhua County, is perhaps best known for her feminist novels.

Some of Li's most notable works include the 1983 novel "The Butcher's Wife" (殺夫) and the 1997 short story "Beigang Incense Burner of Lust" (北港香爐人人插).

She has won several major Taiwanese awards, including the Lai Ho Literary Award and the Wu San-lien Literary Award. In 2004, she became the first Taiwanese writer to be knighted in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication.