A Historic First for Taiwanese Literature

Originally published in Mandarin in 2020, Taiwan Travelogue was penned by Yang Shuang-zi and later translated into English by Lin King. Crafted in the style of a memoir, the novel chronicles the intricate relationship between two women from distinct backgrounds navigating Taiwan’s Japanese colonial era. It weaves a captivating narrative filled with meticulous descriptions of the island’s urban and rural landscapes, alongside an exquisite exploration of Taiwanese and Japanese culinary traditions.

Taiwan Travelogue (left) and its American edition, translated by Lin King (right). (courtesy of SpringHill Publishing)

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The novel’s journey to international acclaim was bolstered by the Ministry of Culture, which provided an initial youth creative grant and subsequently funded its English translation. After winning the Best Literary Book Award at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Tripod Awards in 2021, the book expanded its global footprint with editions already available in the U.S., Japan, and South Korea, while Thai, British, German, and Ukrainian versions are steadily rolling out. Furthermore, a television series adaptation has officially been confirmed.

The International Booker Prize judges highly praised Taiwan Travelogue, noting that it is “an insightful post-colonial novel that reads like a delicious romance.” The author ingeniously utilizes standard literary conventions—complete with an introduction, footnotes, and afterwords—to add surprising layers to the core narrative. It even hides a brilliant Easter egg that breaks the fourth wall, prompting the explicit warning to readers: “Whatever you do, don’t skip the footnotes.”

The story masterfully portrays the complex, fascinating, and ultimately heartbreaking relationship between its two female protagonists. As the International Booker Prize judges noted, “despite the instant spark between the two women, the power imbalance inherent in their relationship proves difficult to navigate.” Furthermore, in praising its brilliant narrative structure, they highlighted that its use of metafictional twists and layered translations “amounts to a virtuosic performance of literary polyphony.”

The UK edition. (courtesy of SpringHill Publishing)

The Japanese edition. (courtesy of SpringHill Publishing)

courtesy of SpringHill Publishing