‘I refuse to be a second-class citizen in my own land’: Taiwanese International Booker winner Yáng Shuāng-zǐ
The author of historical novel Taiwan Travelogue, and its translator Lin King, discuss the threat from Beijing, LGBTQ+ rights and the island’s culinary delicacies
TL;DR
- Yáng Shuāng-zǐ's novel 'Taiwan Travelogue' won the 2026 International Booker Prize.
- The novel explores themes of Taiwanese identity, colonialism, and the island's political sensitivity.
- The book is structured around Taiwanese delicacies and examines a complex relationship between a Japanese novelist and a Taiwanese interpreter.
- The author believes literature cannot be separated from its political and cultural context.
- Translator Lin King aims to highlight the diversity of Taiwanese voices in English literature.
- The novel also touches upon queer themes and Taiwan's progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights.
- The success of translated fiction is growing, with 'Taiwan Travelogue' being a prominent example.