Taiwanese Author Yang Shuang-zi Wins International Booker Prize

May 20, 2026

68 min

May 20, 2026 12:30

Taiwan author wins International Booker for ‘slyly sophisticated’ novel

## Historic Win for Taiwanese Literature

Yang Shuang-zi, a Taiwanese author, has been awarded the International Booker Prize for her novel "Taiwan Travelogue." This marks the first time a book translated from Mandarin Chinese has received this prestigious honor. The award ceremony took place at London's Tate Modern gallery.

## A Unique Postcolonial Narrative

"Taiwan Travelogue" is set in 1930s Taiwan under Japanese rule. The novel is presented as a translation of a fictional Japanese travel memoir by Aoyama Chizuko. It explores Chizuko's travels and culinary experiences, as well as her relationship with her Taiwanese interpreter, Chizuru. The book is praised for its dual success as both a romance and a postcolonial narrative.

## Recognition and Impact

Yang's novel was translated into English by Lin King, a Taiwanese-American translator. The pair will share the £50,000 prize. The book was originally published in Mandarin in 2020 and had already won Taiwan's Golden Tripod Award. The International Booker Prize is known for boosting the profiles and sales of authors writing in languages other than English.

## Competition and Previous Winners

Yang's work was selected over other notable entries, including a story by French novelist Marie NDiaye and a dystopian novel by Brazilian author Ana Paula Maia. The prize has previously been awarded to authors who later became Nobel laureates, such as Han Kang and Olga Tokarczuk.

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