English translation of Taiwanese novel longlisted for U.S. literature award
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Loading... - Yang Jiang
- 11 Sep 2024
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The English translation of Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), a novel by Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi (楊双子), has been longlisted for the prestigious Translated Literature prize at the U.S.-based National Book Awards. Set in 1930s Taiwan, the novel, translated by Lin King (金翎), explores the relationship between a fictional Japanese writer and her Taiwanese interpreter. The book delves into colonial histories and the complex dynamics of power within intimate relationships.
Published by Springhill Publishing in Taiwan in 2020, the English version is set for release on November 12 by Graywolf Press in the U.S. The novel was selected as one of the ten longlisted works from 141 nominations.
Yang Shuang-zi was initially a pseudonym for twin sisters Yang Jo-tzu (楊若慈) and Yang Jo-hui (楊若暉), with the elder sister writing and the younger conducting historical research and Japanese translations. After Jo-hui's death in 2015, Yang Jo-tzu continued to use the pseudonym in honor of their bond.
The translator, Lin King, who grew up in Taiwan, has also won the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. Finalists for the award will be announced on October 1, with the winner revealed on November 20 at the awards ceremony in New York.
The National Book Awards, established in 1950 and considered one of the world's most prestigious literary prizes, included the translated literature category in 1967. Earlier this year, the Japanese version of Taiwan Travelogue became the first Taiwanese work to win Japan's "Best Translation Award" in May 2024.
