A Literary Hall of Fame:

Yang Mu (1940–2020)     Worthy of a Nobel Prize

Carrying the cadences of classical Chinese literature, Yang Mu’s poetry and prose pay tribute to the history and natural environment of his native Hualien. Influenced by Western liberalism, they speak to the universal concerns of humanity. Göran Malmqvist regarded Yang as the sinophone poet most likely to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

—“The Fire Beneath the Snow: Yang Mu”  (April 2007)

photo by Chen Chien-chung

Lin Haiyin (1918–2001)     Championing literary talent

As well as being a renowned writer, Lin Haiyin was a publisher of belles-lettres who promoted the works of Huang Chun-ming, Qidengsheng, Cheng Ching-wen, and Chung Li-ho.

—“Lin Hai-yin and Pure Literature”  (December 1981)

photo by Yang Yung-shan

Wu Ming-yi (b. 1971)     Giving voice to magical realism

Wu Ming-yi’s works blend magical realism with ecology and history. His The Man with the Compound Eyes won the Prix du Livre Insulaire in France, and his The Stolen Bicycle was nominated for the Man Booker International Prize. With some 30 overseas editions of his novels published in more than ten languages, he is the most inter­nationally prominent mid-career Taiwanese writer. 

—“Above Flame: Eco-Author Wu Ming-Yi Discusses Photography” (June 2014)

photo by Jimmy Lin

Chen Uen (1958–2017)     A manhua maverick

Rejecting conventional dip pens and screentone shading, Chen Uen is known for his innovative paneling, striking compositions, and bold style. His comics have achieved the stature of fine art. The first non-­Japanese recipient of the Japan Cartoonists Association’s Excellence Award, Chen was also the first manhua artist to be exhibited at the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

—“Cheng Wen: A Man Who Understands What Animates the Japanese” (April 1992); “Manga Master: The Extraordinary Talent of Chen Uen” (June 2018)

photo by Pu Hua-chih

Kenneth Pai (b. 1937)     With Taipei forever in his heart

Kenneth Pai is the author of Taipei People and Crystal Boys and is known for his devotion to Kun Opera. A son of a Kuomintang general, he lived through years of turmoil and exile before resettling in Taiwan. His writing is shrewd and incisive, tinged with a forlorn grace.

—“Kenneth Pai’s Lifelong Pursuit of Love and Beauty” (October 2015)

photo by Jimmy Lin

Gao Xingjian (b. 1940)     The first sinophone Nobel laureate in literature

Chinese-born French writer Gao Xingjian is the author of Soul Mountain and One Man’s Bible. He won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2000—the first Chinese-language writer to receive this honor. He has visited Taiwan several times.

—“Nobel Literature Prize for Gao Xingjian” (Nov. 2000); “Gao Xingjian’s Third Crazy Dream: The Inception of Snow in August” (Sep. 2002; “An Epic Tale in the Making: An Interview with Gao Xingjian” (Oct. 2002)

photo by Hsueh Chi-kuang

Chi Chun (1917–2006)    A gentle, affectionate soul

The late literary critic C.T. Hsia said that Chi Chun’s works conveyed warmth and gentleness. Evoking nostalgia, her writing bestows affections upon the people and things she gazed at.

—“Writing from Life” (March 1981)

photo by Hua Tai

Chang Kuei Hsing (b. 1956)     Writing Southeast Asia in Taiwan

Born in Sarawak on the island of Borneo, Chang Kuei Hsing came to Taiwan to study in 1976 and subsequently became a Taiwanese citizen. Often depicting his native Borneo in an enchantingly beautiful and magical style, he is the author of My South Seas Sleeping Beauty, When Wild Boars Cross the River, and other novels.

—“Occupying the Literary ‘Heartland’” (July 1998); “A Dual Sense of Home: Malaysian-Born Writers in Taiwan” (February 2022)

photo by Lin Min-hsuan

Li Kotomi (b. 1989)     Let the flowers bloom there

A Taiwanese novelist based in Japan, Li Kotomi writes mainly in Japanese, instead of her native language, Chinese. She has won numerous major literary awards in Japan. In 2021, with The Island Where Red Spider Lilies Bloom, she became the first Taiwanese winner of the prestigious Akutagawa Prize.

—“Hometown Girl Makes It Big in Japan: Li Kotomi Wins Akutagawa Prize” (December 2021)

photo by Inagaki Junya, courtesy of Li Kotomi

Ahronglong Sakinu (b. 1972)     Into the deep forests

Ahronglong Sakinu is an Indigenous Paiwan writer. His works revolve around Indigenous ways of life and probe into issues related to ethnic identity. His representative prose collection The Sage Hunter was used in Harvard University’s Chinese language classes. 

—“Sakinu, Sage Hunter of the Paiwan” (February 2006); “Sakinu’s Hunter School: Contributing the Wisdom of Taiwan’s Indigenous Peoples” (July 2018)

photo by Kent Chuang

Shawna Yang Ryan (b. 1976)     Crafting Taiwan’s story

Shawna Yang Ryan is the most widely known contemporary American writer of Taiwanese heritage. Her Green Island, which portrays the February 28 Incident of 1947 and the subsequent White Terror era, was selected for Penguin Random House’s One World, One Book program.

—“Journeys through Literary Landscapes: Taiwan’s Local Stories Go Global” (May 2024)

courtesy of Shawna Yang Ryan

Yeh Shih-tao (1925–2008)     Charting the course of Taiwanese literature

A revered literary veteran, Yeh Shih-tao wrote nearly 100 books. He took part in the debates about the legitimacy of nativist literature and was a political prisoner during the White Terror era. His History of Taiwan Literature maps out the course of Taiwan’s literary achievements.

—“The Man Who Has Put the Signs on the Road: Yeh Shih-tao” (January 2005)

photo by Jimmy Lin

Jung Chang (b. 1952)     Telling Chinese stories to Western readers

Chinese-born British writer Jung Chang leapt to fame because of her family autobiography, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, which opens a window into modern China’s psyche for Western readers. Time Magazine says that the intimate textures of her writing are reminiscent of Charles Dickens.

—“A Teller of Tales: Jung Chang” (April 1993)

photo by Diago Chiu