The Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) in Michigan is to host an exhibition showcasing the diversity of Taiwanese literature through a range of translated literary works, the Taipei Cultural Center in New York said.
The exhibition, aimed at promoting Taiwanese contemporary literature abroad, features 16 translated works and four anthologies, covering genres such as novels, essays, picture books and graphic novels.
Themes include Taiwan’s White Terror era, LGBTQ+ writing, women’s experiences and indigenous myths, said the center, which co-organized the Taiwan Literature Exhibition: Reading Taiwan, in a statement on Friday last week.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Cultural Center in New York
Other organizers of the show, which runs from today to Jan. 9, include the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, the AADL and the Michigan Taiwanese American Organization, it said.
Exhibition panels put together by the National Museum of Taiwan Literature would also introduce Taiwan’s literary development through themes such as food, women and nature writing, the center said.
In addition to the book display, three public lectures would be held during the exhibition period.
The first, scheduled for Sunday, is to feature novelist Yang Shuang-zi (楊双子), author of Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), and translator Lin King (金翎), who are to discuss Taiwan’s history and food culture under the theme “Island Writing and Taste Memories.”
The second lecture, on Oct. 19, is to be delivered by Michigan State University professor Sang Tze-lan (桑梓蘭), who is to explore representations of lesbian desire in contemporary Taiwanese literature and trace the development of LGBTQ+ writing in Taiwan.
The final talk, on Dec. 7, is to be given by Richard B. Stamps, emeritus professor at Oakland University, who is to discuss The Song of Mountains, Forest and Sea (山林與海之歌:臺灣原住民神話系列) series by Atayal author Kate Dargaw and illustrator Tomas Rizek from an anthropological perspective.
Among the 20 works on display are Spent Bullets (子彈是餘生) by the Taiwanese author known as Terao Tetsuya (寺尾哲也), Taiwan Travelogue by Yang, The Mermaid’s Tale (人魚紀) by Li Wei-jing (李維菁), and Ghost Town (鬼地方) by Kevin Chen (陳思宏).
Others include The Whisper (荒聞) by Chang Yu-ko (張渝歌), and Banana King Ngoo Tsin-su? (蕉王吳振瑞) by Lee Wang-tai (李旺台).
Illustrated works such as Home by Lin Lian-en (林廉恩) and Son of Formosa (來自清水的孩子) by Yu Peiyun (游珮芸) and Zhou Jianxin (周見信) are also displayed.
All of the books would be donated to the AADL after the exhibition ends and made available for public borrowing, the center said.
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