INTERVIEW / Booker-shortlisted novelist says Taiwan has more stories to tell

Bangkok, April 12 (CNA) Taiwan's first International Booker Prize-shortlisted author, Yang Shuang-zi (楊双子), said recently her recognition reflects a collective achievement and that Taiwan still has more stories to tell.

The Booker Prize Foundation earlier this month announced six finalists selected from a longlist of 13 titles, narrowed from 128 submissions. Yang's novel Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄) is the first work by a Taiwanese writer to make the shortlist.

Yang made the remarks in Bangkok while attending a literary forum held alongside the Chommanard International Women's Literary Award, where Taiwan Travelogue was also named a finalist. It was her first visit to Thailand.

"It belongs to an entire team, especially the translator. Without Lin King (金翎), none of this would have been possible," Yang told CNA.

First published in 2020, Taiwan Travelogue is set in 1938 and explores friendship and colonial identity through a culinary journey across Taiwan. The novel has been translated into multiple languages, including Japanese, English, and Korean, with a Thai edition set for release.

Yang said she thought the book could make the longlist, largely due to confidence in the translator and publishing team.

"When I found out it was shortlisted, I was excited, but it still felt like a collective achievement," she said.

She said international recognition depends on coordination among writers, translators, publishers, literary agents, and public support, noting Taiwan has expanded programs to support literary translation in recent years.

Yang pointed to Japan and South Korea as examples of countries whose literature gained global visibility alongside the rise of their pop culture, adding that Taiwan could follow a similar path.

She said more works need to be translated to reach international readers, noting Taiwan's literary output extends beyond novels.

"Right now, there are still too few Taiwanese novels being translated," she said. "And beyond novels, Taiwan has poetry, essays, and theater that also represent who we are."

She also called for stronger incentives to attract foreign translators, citing competition from other Chinese-language works.

"We need to ask why translators would choose Taiwan first, and how we can make Taiwan stand out," she said.

Using a bridge as a metaphor, Yang said Taiwan must build stronger connections across the literary ecosystem.

"Only having a pier is not enough; we need to build a whole bridge so the entire team can cross together," she said.

Asked what she hoped international readers would understand about Taiwan, Yang said she wanted the country's diversity to be more widely recognized.

"People often see Taiwan through a narrow lens because not enough voices from Taiwan have been heard," she said. "I want people to know that Taiwan has many different stories, and even the contradictions and tensions are part of what makes Taiwan what it is."

Yang is expected to travel to London ahead of the International Booker Prize ceremony in May.