Taiwan literature museum, UK center sign MOU to train translators

London, Sept. 9 (CNA) Taiwan's National Museum of Taiwan Literature and the United Kingdom's National Centre for Writing have signed a memorandum of understanding to train a new generation of English-language translators of Taiwanese literature.

Under the agreement, a "Literature from Taiwan" track will be added to the National Centre for Writing's Emerging Translator Mentorships, which recruits aspiring translators worldwide and provides mentoring and professional exchanges.

Taiwan Culture Minister Li Yuan (李遠), who witnessed the signing in Norwich, England, on Tuesday, expressed the hope that the partnership would help build a long-term pipeline of translators capable of bringing more Taiwanese literature to British readers.

Li said the new partnership would provide another channel for introducing Taiwanese literature to the U.K. and create opportunities for further cooperation between Taiwan and the U.K.

Alan Waters, chair of the National Centre for Writing's board, said the center had begun promoting Taiwanese literature even before Yang Shuang-zi's (楊双子) "Taiwan Travelogue" gained international recognition when it won the 2026 International Booker Prize.

Waters said the center's 2026-27 program had received 16 applications for the Taiwan literature track, which he described as a strong response for a program of this kind.

He added that the center plans to expand its collaboration with Taiwan in 2027 through further writer and translator residencies, as well as a Taiwan literature festival planned for next spring.