Tue, May 26, 2026 page8

• The power of Taiwan’s cacophonic literature

  • By Jane Ywe-hwan 張月環
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  In a milestone for Taiwanese literature, Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), written by Taiwanese novelist Yang Shuang-zi (楊?子) and translated by Lin King (金翎), has won the 2026 International Booker Prize.

  In her acceptance speech, Yang said that some believe art and literature should remain distinct from politics, but that to her, “literature cannot be kept separate from the soil in which it has grown.” In this sense, literature, on a fundamental level, can never be disentangled from politics. Throughout the modern history of Taiwan’s literature, she said that writers have continually posed the questions: “What kind of future do the people of Taiwan want? What kind of nation do the people of Taiwan want?” She dedicated the honor to Taiwan and declared emotionally: “The centuries-old inquiry in Taiwan’s literature is, in fact, the century-old pursuit of freedom and equality by Taiwan’s people. I feel very fortunate to have been born Taiwanese. I feel very proud to stand before you today as a writer from Taiwan.”

  Lin’s remarks were equally moving. She recalled that when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, she decided to no longer translate Sinophone works indiscriminately, but instead focus on works from Taiwan for the foreseeable future.

  She pledged to continue until her nation’s sovereignty was no longer viewed in the Anglophone world as a provocation or a punchline, until no one would say to her again: “I really should visit you in Taiwan while it still exists.”

  Lin added that no single novel should bear the burden of speaking on behalf of an entire country. Her aspiration for herself and her fellow translators, therefore, is to bring so many of Taiwan’s diverse voices to the rest of the world so that Taiwan’s literature cannot be reduced to a monolith. “We are not a chorus,” she said, “but a cacophony, self-contradicting and unruly, just like any healthy, robust democracy.”

  These words cut to the core of a collective sentiment in Taiwan of being caught in the crossfire of the US-China rivalry under the pressure of geopolitical isolation. With China’s rise, military activity across the Taiwan Strait has intensified. While countries such as the US and Japan have held joint exercises with the Philippines, South Korea and Australia, Taiwan has remained excluded for lack of diplomatic ties.

  Despite its international isolation, Taiwan continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience. Although there are people who believe accepting a “Chinese” identity might avoid provocation and bring peace, the reality remains that the Taiwan Strait crisis has never been a result of Taiwan’s own provocations, but a clash between democracy and authoritarianism.

  The stronger and more capable of defending its freedoms Taiwan becomes, the more it throws the Chinese Communist Party’s high-handedness into sharp relief.

  China has yet to democratize and Taiwan’s only path is to uphold its chosen pursuit of human rights and democratic freedoms.

  The power of literature knows no borders. When the deadlock of political barriers shows no sign of abating, literature can find a way — gently yet resolutely. The greatest significance of Taiwan Travelogue winning the Booker Prize is that it allows the world to hear another of Taiwan’s many voices. It demonstrates that no matter how heavy external political pressures become, Taiwanese literature’s pursuit of freedom and equality remains just the same.

  The more great powers seek to silence Taiwan, the more resonant and unruly the cacophony shall grow.

  Jane Ywe-hwan is an associate professor at National Pingtung University.

  Translated by Gilda Knox Streader
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