Literature from Taiwan Series

Cambria Press is proud to announce a collaboration with the National Museum of Taiwan Literature and National Taiwan Normal University to publish the new LITERATURE FROM TAIWAN SERIES, which will showcase the best of Taiwan’s rich literary works. Three new titles will make their debut at the AAS 2020 Conference:

1) A History of Taiwan Literature by Ye Shitao (translated by Christopher Lupke)

A History of Taiwan Literature by Ye Shitao, an important public intellectual in Taiwan, was published in the crucial watershed year of 1987 when the end of martial law on the island was signaled. This is arguably one of the most important intellectual works of literary history, made even more impressive by Ye’s inclusion of copious notes, including Japanese-language ones. In this translation, Christopher Lupke has painstakingly translated both Ye’s main text and notes, making this valuable resource available to English readers for the first time. Lupke also provides an introduction that contextualizes Ye’s work as well as an epilogue that outlines some of the major historical and literary developments after 1987, along with a brief mention of some of the most important literary figures of Taiwan. In addition to a glossary and index, Lupke offers a select bibliography that lists works that Ye referenced in his own notes as well as some books that Lupke consulted in completing this translation.

2) The Soul of Jade Mountain by Husluman Vava (translated by Terence Russell)

Cultural production, including literary work, has been a key element in the Indigenous struggle for decolonization worldwide. In Taiwan, ethnographic novels written in Chinese, such as The Soul of Jade Mountain (Yushan hun) by Bunun writer Husluman Vava (1958–2007), have been an important tool in the process of bringing the circumstances of Indigenous people to the attention of mainstream audiences. The Soul of Jade Mountain won the 2007 Taiwan Literature Award for the best novel, and this is the first English translation of an ethnographic novel by a Taiwan Indigenous writer to be published by a North American publisher, marking an important step in bringing Indigenous Taiwan to international audiences.

3) A Taiwanese Literature Reader edited by Nikky Lin

According to Taiwanese intellectual Ye Shitao, the development of Taiwanese literature during Japanese occupation can be divided into three stages: the “nascent period” (1920–1925), followed by the “mature period” (1926–1937), and finally the “war period” (1937–1945). The six stories in this collection are representative works from the mature period and the war period. The stories in this collection are “A Lever Scale” by Loa Ho (trans. Darryl Sterk), “The Newspaper Boy” by Yang K’uei (trans. Chris Wen-chao Li), “Autumn Letter” by Zhu Dianren (trans. Darryl Sterk), “The Town Planted with Papaya Trees” by Long Yingzong (trans. Kyle Shernuk, “Head and Body” by Wu Yong-fu (trans. Edward Vickers), and “Sweeping Torrent” by Wang Chang-hsiung (trans. Chris Wen-chao Li). Each story depicts different hardships and predicaments faced by Taiwan as a colony under Japanese rule, offering insight into how this part of Taiwan’s history continues to impact contemporary Taiwanese society.

See these books at the Cambria Press booth (901) at the AAS 2020 conference. Order now and save 20% on the print edition → Use coupon code AAS2020

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