By Peng Chien-Sen

Translated by Melanie A. Leng

In the latter half of 2024, the Taiwan Literature Base (TLB) will be holding a series of events for the current special exhibition, Seahorses and IV Drips: The Unseen Sides of Literary Healing. A new cohort of writers-in-residence will also be arriving at TLB to hold reader exchange events. Amid the sweltering heat of summer, why not visit TLB for some shade to cool your body and literature to soothe your soul?

Like air conditioning, literature can keep the mind and body stable when the outside environment is too extreme. TLB’s new special exhibition, Seahorses and IV Drips: The Unseen Sides of Literary Healing, is concerned with precisely that. Curated by novelist Nathalie Chang (張亦絢), the exhibition guides visitors to rediscover the rhythms of our lives, learn about physical ailments and social suffering, and receive the tender care conveyed through literary translation.

The exhibition is divided into several sections: upon entering, visitors will first walk through "Patients are All Precursors," where they can read various writers' accounts of illnesses and witness how diverse writing styles each detail physical suffering. The next section, "These Open Wounds Speak," voices the untold hardships faced by Taiwan society that have risen from the convergence of different issues and events. The exhibition concludes with the section "Deeply Cherishing Every Drop," which encourages visitors to find healing within the comfortable, safe spaces and available resources provided by the TLB. Excerpts of various works, including The Newspaper Carrier by Yang Kuei (楊逵), The Capon by Chang Wen-huan (張文環), and Pomegranate by Lu Ho-jo (呂赫若) are featured throughout the exhibition, guiding visitors to experience the curative properties of literature. .

Following the recent special lecture by the curator, TLB will soon hold a variety of promotional activities. With Dr. Harry Yi-Jui Wu (吳易叡), the Cloud Gate Dance School, and Gutta Books&Coffee, and other partners, TLB hopes to nurture among its audiences the ability to self-heal through life, reading, and writing.

Another space that provides literary relief for the body and soul is the Muse Garden, a Japanese-style dwelling located within TLB. Both the number of international applicants and the number of total applicants for the TLB Writers-in-Residence (WiR) Program reached an all-time high in 2024. This year's selected writers will begin their individual residencies at the Muse Garden from August through next July, each embarking on their own creative endeavors amidst historic architecture. During their residencies, weekly reader exchange events will be held to offer the public a firsthand glimpse into the creative inspirations of these writers and to explore how literature bridges boundaries.

Exciting activities organized by resident writers will also be held on weekends, bringing a refreshing breeze of literature to TLB. Among the writers is Tran Minh Hop from Vietnam, who will discuss how novels depict reality and social phenomena under the theme "Write the Life." Hong Kong writer Mongyat (望日), who likens himself to an "extraterrestrial" in his work Aliens, will share the joys and challenges of settling in Taiwan. Fellow Hong Kong writer Milo Tse (謝曉陽) will lead the audience in a game of poems, where they will experience the spontaneous fun of writing poetry through interactive games. 

Australian writer Craig A. Smith will deliver lectures on "Inter-Asian Translators" during the period of Japanese rule in Taiwan to showcase the complexity and interrelatedness of the era's complex and intertwined literary landscape.  Canadian writer Hilda Hoy will draw inspiration from her diverse background to organize activities around themes including diaspora, and language, and more.

And as for writers from Taiwan, architect Wei-Yu Liao (廖惟宇) will apply his professional expertise to plan activities based around the space and architecture of TLB. Novelist Yi-Chen Tsai (蔡易澄) will focus on Taiwan literature and its literary adaptations to address the competition and collaboration between writers and researchers. 

We invite you to join us for the exhibition and events in the second half of 2024 at TLB. Come and experience the refreshing breeze of literature that soothes and liberates the soul!

More about Seahorses and IV Drips: The Unseen Sides of Literary Healing, click here. 

List of selected writers for the 2024 TLB Writers-in-Residence (WiR) Program, click here.