Writer and former Taipei Chinese Center president Peng Ko (彭歌) on Monday passed away at the age of 100, the center said on Tuesday.
Born in Tianjin in 1926, Peng, whose real name is Yao Peng (姚朋), moved to Taiwan in 1949. He served as president of the Taipei Chinese Center, a branch of PEN International, during the 1970s.
Over his prolific career, he acted as vice president and editor-in-chief of Taiwan Shin Sheng Daily News, chief editor and president of the Central Daily News and head of the Hong Kong Times.
Photo courtesy of Wenshun Magazine
He also taught at several Taiwanese universities, including National Taiwan University, National Chengchi University and National Taiwan Normal University.
A respected voice on Taiwan’s literary scene, Peng wrote an influential article saying that “human nature is the true essence of literature,” encouraging writers to respond to the world with empathy and insight. The article sparked wide debate during Taiwan’s 1970s “nativist literature” movement.
Aside from working in journalism and writing essays, Peng wrote novels inspired by his life in China, as well as short stories set in Taiwan, and Kinmen and Matsu,
His “San San Tsao” (三三草) column in the United Daily News introduced global literature to local readers.
He had received numerous honors and published more than 70 works, including essays, fiction and translations.
He held a master’s degrees in journalism from National Chengchi University and Southern Illinois University, and in library and information science from the University of Illinois.
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