Taiwan Travelogue Heads to Scotland: Yang Shuang-zi and Lin King Engage Deeply with British Readers
Following their win of the 2026 International Booker Prize in May for Taiwan Travelogue, author Yang Shuang-zi and English translator Lin King visited the UK again in mid-August. They travelled to Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Waterstones bookshop in Glasgow, to engage with British readers, authors, and the publishing sector. From winning the award and being published to participating in local reading and literary events, Taiwan Travelogue continues to expand the visibility and readership of Taiwanese literature in the UK.
Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Division of the Taipei Representative Office in the UK partnered with the Edinburgh International Book Festival to invite Yang Shuang-zi and Lin King to attend the "Meet the Winners: International Booker Prize 2026" panel on 20 August, hosted by Fiammetta Rocco, the International Booker Prize Administrator. Held at the Courtyard Theatre, the event saw a full house of 200 seats, reflecting the sustained attention Taiwan Travelogue has received from British literary readers since winning the International Booker Prize.
The panel explored the creative background, text, and translation process of Taiwan Travelogue, guiding readers into the novel set in Taiwan during the 1938 Japanese colonial period, which intertwines history, travel, food, and emotion through a female perspective. The on-site discussion expanded to cover topics such as colonial history, translation, and the power dynamics between intimate relationships and the political environment. The audience asked enthusiastic questions, which Yang and Lin answered from the perspectives of author and translator respectively, demonstrating British readers' deep interest in the work and Taiwan's historical and cultural context. The book signing session following the talk also attracted a long queue of readers eager to interact with the pair.
In addition to the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Cultural Division also collaborated once again with And Other Stories, the UK publisher of Taiwan Travelogue, to host a panel and book signing with Yang and Lin at Waterstones Glasgow Sauchiehall Street, a major bookshop in Glasgow. Hosted by Glaswegian poet Sean Wai Keung, the event attracted nearly a hundred readers. The duo shared the journey of the work from its creation in Mandarin to its English publication and interacted face-to-face with local readers, bringing Taiwan Travelogue from an international literary award into the local British reading community.
The Cultural Division of Taipei Representative Office in the UK stated that the presence of Taiwan Travelogue at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and a major Glasgow bookshop demonstrates how Taiwanese literature, after gaining international acclaim, continues to build connections with British readers and the literary world through publishing, translation, festivals, and bookshops. The two events not only allowed the International Booker Prize winners to converse directly with British readers but also enabled Taiwan's historical experience, cultural context, and contemporary literary creations to enter a broader international readership through the work.
The Ministry of Culture will continue to support the foreign language translation and publication of Taiwanese literary works, as well as participation in major international literary festivals. By deepening exchanges with international publishers and literary circles, more Taiwanese works will transcend linguistic and geographical boundaries through translation, further expanding the international reading market and cultural influence of Taiwanese literature.
《臺灣漫遊錄》走進蘇格蘭 楊双子、金翎與英國讀者深度交流
繼今年5月《臺灣漫遊錄》作者楊双子與英譯者金翎榮獲2026年國際布克獎（International Booker Prize）後，兩人於8月中旬再度造訪英國，走進愛丁堡與蘇格蘭格拉斯哥與的國際文學節及書店，與英國讀者、作家及出版界交流。從獲獎、出版到進入當地閱讀與文學活動場域，《臺灣漫遊錄》持續拓展臺灣文學在英國的能見度與閱讀版圖。
在文化部支持下，駐英國代表處文化組與愛丁堡國際圖書節合作，邀請楊双子與金翎於8月20日出席「遇見2026國際布克獎得主」（Meet the Winners: International Booker Prize 2026）講座，由國際布克獎榮譽總監Fiammetta Rocco主持。活動於庭院劇場（Courtyard Theatre）舉行，現場200席座無虛席，反映《臺灣漫遊錄》獲得國際布克獎後，持續受到英國文學讀者關注。
講座從《臺灣漫遊錄》的創作背景、文本及翻譯歷程出發，帶領讀者認識這部以1938年日治時期臺灣為背景，透過女性視角交織歷史、旅行、飲食與情感的小說。現場討論並延伸至殖民歷史、翻譯，以及親密關係與政治環境間的權力關係等議題；觀眾踴躍提問，楊双子與金翎也分別從作者與譯者角度回應，呈現英國讀者對作品及臺灣歷史文化脈絡的深入興趣。座談後的簽書會也吸引許多讀者排隊與兩人交流。
除愛丁堡國際圖書節外，駐英文化組也再度與《臺灣漫遊錄》英國版出版社And Other Stories合作，於格拉斯哥重要大型書店Waterstones Glasgow Sauchiehall Street舉辦楊双子、金翎講座暨簽書會，邀請格拉斯哥詩人Sean Wai Keung主持，吸引近百位讀者參與。兩人分享作品從中文創作到英譯出版的歷程、與當地讀者面對面交流，將《臺灣漫遊錄》從國際文學獎項帶入英國在地閱讀社群。
文化部駐英國代表處文化組表示，《臺灣漫遊錄》此次走進愛丁堡國際圖書節及格拉斯哥大型書店，呈現臺灣文學在獲得國際獎項肯定後，持續透過出版、翻譯、文學節及書店等不同平台，與英國讀者及文學界建立連結。兩場活動不僅讓國際布克獎得主與英國讀者直接交流，也讓臺灣的歷史經驗、文化脈絡及當代文學創作透過作品進入更廣泛的國際閱讀場域。
文化部將持續支持臺灣文學作品外譯出版及參與國際重要文學節慶，深化與國際出版及文學界的交流，讓更多臺灣作品透過翻譯跨越語言與地域界線，拓展臺灣文學的國際閱讀市場與文化影響力。
