New York: The author and translator of the award-winning novel "Taiwan Travelogue" are preparing to embark on a U.S. book tour starting Wednesday. The duo will engage with audiences in New York and Southern California.

According to Focus Taiwan, Yang Shuang-zi, the novel's author, and Lin King, the translator, will participate in a tour consisting of five dates and eight sessions across bookstores, universities, and the New York Public Library. The Ministry of Culture (MOC) recently shared that the Taipei Cultural Center in New York and the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles will host the tour, with additional support from the MOC.

During the tour, Yang and King will discuss the novel's inspiration, as well as its writing and translation processes. They aim to provide a behind-the-scenes look at the historical research, on-site exploration, and the challenges involved in translating cultural and emotional nuances for an international audience.

In November 2024, the pair made history when "Taiwan Travelogue" won the National Book Award for Translated Literature in the U.S., marking the first time a Taiwanese work received this honor. The novel is set in 1938, during Taiwan's time as a Japanese colony, and follows the journey of a Japanese woman and a Taiwanese woman who share kanji characters in their names as they travel by train across Taiwan.

The narrative explores themes of gender, culture, colonialism, and history, with each chapter highlighting a Japanese or Taiwanese dish. Through their exchanges, the two women embark on a journey of shared ideas and cultural experiences.

The Taipei Cultural Center expressed hopes that the tour would enhance the appreciation of Taiwanese literature and history among international audiences.