Taiwan Today

Homegrown literature is gaining legions of new followers thanks to cross-media adaptations and savvy policymaking.

Like many of the world’s great authors, Yang Fu-min (楊富閔‬) is inspired by his experiences growing up, reflecting on childhood memories, successes, failures and everything in between. Born in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City, his stories have gained a loyal following with translations available in English, French and Japanese. “Writing is a means for me to express myself and share my thoughts and feelings,” Yang said.

The author rose to prominence after one of his short works “A Boy Named Flora A” was made into a TV series and film. Released in 2017 and 2018, respectively, the adaptations were extremely successful.

Last year, Yang was invited to participate in a program organized jointly by the Association for Taiwan Literature (ATL) based in the central city of Taichung and National United University based in the northern county of Miaoli. The project seeks to inspire students’ literary imaginations by bringing authors into classrooms and providing a range of activities such as workshops, lectures and tours.

According to ATL Chairperson Chiu Kuei-fen (邱貴芬), the organization launched the Toward Taiwan New Literature initiative last year to review the art form’s recent developments and future prospects. One of its objectives is to nurture the next generation of writers.

“Taiwan literature is an indelible part of the nation’s cultural heritage. To ensure its future, we need to engage with young writers,” Chiu said. “We hope to use our resources to help talented youngsters grow as authors, with the aim of publishing their works and reaching more people.”

Established in 2016, ATL comprises an active membership of university teachers and students. The association focuses its efforts on scholarship of Taiwan literature, but it also promotes creation of new literary works.

Chiu said the association’s Writers in School program looks to employ talented individuals born in and after the 1980s, helping them earn a stable income so they can concentrate on writing. With his creative style and likeable persona, Yang was an easy choice as a role model for children to look up to, she added.

The live action versions of Yang’s works have been a great encouragement for anyone in need of motivation, Chiu said. “We have entered a ‘post-literature era’ in that book sales continue to fall while modern gadgets and technologies like smartphones and mobile internet are gaining in popularity, so adaptations can serve as a crucial bridge between formats.”

Looking Back

Regardless of changes in consumption habits, Chiu believes literature remains a vital societal record capable of capturing prevailing attitudes and trends more vividly than any image. “People looking to gain insight into the past, present and future can find it in books,” she said.

Taiwan certainly seems to fit Chiu’s hypothesis. The country’s literary corpus was once dominated by influences from overseas including Chinese, Japanese and Western writers. Local voices were often marginalized prior to democratization in the 1980s and 1990s. Subsequent years, however, have seen tremendous growth in works that highlight the nation’s uniqueness, providing scholars with fertile ground to study.

The first department at a local tertiary education institution to focus solely on Taiwan literature was founded in 1997 at Aletheia University in New Taipei City’s Tamsui District. Now 11 universities have such departments or graduate institutes, with more than 30 schools offering related courses.

Chiung Wi-vun (蔣為文), a professor in the Department of Taiwanese Literature at Tainan-based National Cheng Kung University, said his institution offers a full range of programs in Taiwan literature at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The curriculum includes classes on literature, as well as culture, history and languages, with particular emphasis on learning Hakka, Holo or indigenous vernaculars.

“We want to help our students acquire those linguistic skills while they learn about the country’s literary history,” Chiung said. “It’s essential if they’re to fully understand and appreciate texts written by different ethnic groups. And it can revitalize the use of local languages, many of which are in danger of dying out.”

Having focused on the historical development of writing in Taiwan under Chinese dynastic rule, Japanese colonial rule (1895-1945) and into the postwar era, Chiung’s department has now begun to work on promoting local literature abroad. More familiar countries like Japan and Vietnam are the targets of initial efforts, with activities including seminars, workshops and student-teacher exchanges, he said.

Branching Out

One challenge facing Taiwan literature entering new markets is overcoming language barriers. Aware of the need for high-quality conversions, Tainan-based National Museum of Taiwan Literature (NMTL) has produced more than 110 translations in languages including Czech, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. Among the prominent authors whose works have been translated are Badai (巴代), Chi Pang-yuan (齊邦媛), Li Ang (李昂) and Pai Hsien-yung (白先勇).

“Our core mission is to promote local authors on the global stage,” NMTL Director Su Shuo-bin (蘇碩斌) said. “Translations of native authors’ works not only expand the reach of Taiwan literature but also offer teaching resources for those who are passionate about the subject.”

Founded in 2003, NMTL is the country’s first national museum dedicated to collecting, exhibiting, restoring, preserving and studying the country’s literary heritage. Its comprehensive collection comprises handwritten scripts, historical documents, prints and photos from key periods in Taiwan’s history. Digitization of the archives is also under way to widen public access to its older, more fragile items.

According to Su, another of NMTL’s missions is to connect the literary world with the audiovisual industries such as producers for films, TV shows and video games. The annual Taiwan Literature Award ceremony, for instance, is hosted by the museum alongside a networking event that provides an opportunity for winners to mingle with executives and industry insiders, increasing the odds of their works becoming the next crossover page-to-screen hit.

Last year, the New Talent Award was added to encourage young and emerging local writers, with prize money for the event totalling NT$3.4 million (US$111,475). The winning entries were later featured at book fairs in Taipei, Taichung and Tainan.

“The works submitted reflect the growing diversity in style and subject matter in Taiwan literature, be it fantasy, feminism, mystery, romance, sci-fi or thriller,” Su said. “And we’re glad to see that more and more people are writing in their mother tongues.”

Government departments are also looking for ways to promote local authors, such as the Ministry of Culture’s online Books From Taiwan platform. Interested publishers can use the initiative to find information about authors, books and their related licensing rights. They can also apply for ministry-funded grants to translate and publish listed works.

Thanks to coordinated efforts across academic and public sectors backed by the savvy use of cross-media adaptations, Taiwan’s literary scene is experiencing a long-awaited coming out party.

“Revenue brought in through funding drives and silver screen tie-ups is ensuring a healthy future for the country’s writers,” Su said. “This legacy will only continue to grow as more and more works are translated into other languages and Taiwan literature earns its rightful place in the world’s imagination.”

Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw