Chin Tzu-Chun, translated by Melanie A. Leng
The translation of Taiwan literature is a core strategy to establish a presence for Taiwan culture in the world literary scene. As such, NMTL works with writers to brainstorm and carry out various plans and projects overseas. The past several years have bore steady progress in the translation and publication of Taiwan literature in countries around the world. Translation talent cultivation programs carried out by NMTL in coordination with other institutes have also laid a solid foundation for future literary translation projects. The results of these efforts are introduced below.
NMTL has promoted the Literature from Taiwan (LiFT) Series, to translate Taiwan literature. This series encompasses themed literary collections and classic novels. Since its launch in 2020, 16 books have been translated into six languages and published in the United States, Japan, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, and Poland. The initiative has introduced to new audiences a wide variety of themes and topics relating to Taiwan, including history, human rights, and democratic development, as well as issues of identity and literature centered on women, queer communities, and the Indigenous groups of Taiwan.
As book series are compiled, translated, and published, NMTL utilizes its exhibition expertise to coordinate promotional activities. This has led to the formation of a cooperative network between domestic and international literary academic circles, translation industries, publishing houses, and research units centered on Taiwan studies. This has not only greatly fostered international academic exchange in the research of Taiwan literature and foreign translations, but also continues to expand the readership of Taiwan literature worldwide.
Translators are essential for the promotion and development of literary translation. To cultivate translation talent, NMTL has collaborated with the British Centre for Literary Translation (BCLT) to create advanced online courses for published translators experienced in literary translation. NMTL's collaborative efforts have also reached Kraków, a UNESCO City of Literature in Poland. With the Kraków Festival Office, the Emerging Translators Mentorship program has been launched, inviting prominent Polish translator Professor Katarzyna Sarek to mentor young translators in translating Taiwan literature.
Today, Taiwan shines on the global stage through its technology-based industrial transformation and innovation. Now is the opportune moment to let its human values and spirit be seen by the world as well. In 2023, NMTL and the National Science and Technology Council launched a three-year translation project to compile and translate nine volumes of translated anthologies to be published in the UK, the Netherlands, and France. Each volume will focus on a specific theme, providing a selection of relevant research and academic articles in the field of Taiwan humanities and social sciences. These resources will also be presented in the form of popular science articles. Classic literary texts will be selected based on several research themes to create a space for an intertextual dialogue.
As we enter the second quarter of 2024 and continue to make progress in several ongoing translation projects, we look forward to and firmly believe that, with everyone's concerted efforts, this year will prove to be another fruitful year for literary translation.