Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyle(Getty)Taiwan Travelogue, written by Yang Shuang-zi and translated by Lin King, has been awarded the International Booker Prize, making it the first winning book translated from Mandarin Chinese and the first time a Taiwanese writer and Taiwanese-American translator have received the honour. The novel follows a Japanese novelist with a “monstrous appetite” on a culinary tour through 1930s Japan-occupied Taiwan, accompanied by a local interpreter, exploring the complexities of their burgeoning relationship. Published in English in March after its original 2020 Mandarin Chinese release, the 'captivating' book explores themes of colonialism, power, class, and love, with judges praising its dual success as both a romance and an incisive postcolonial novel. The £50,000 prize money was equally divided between author Yang Shuang-zi and translator Lin King, with the award presented at a ceremony held at London’s Tate Modern. Natasha Brown, chairwoman of the 2026 judges, commended the book for its nuanced exploration of power imbalances and its intriguing metafictional layers, noting its previous win of Taiwan’s highest literary honour, the Golden Tripod Award.In fullTaiwan Travelogue becomes first Mandarin novel to win International Booker PrizeThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
Taiwanese novel makes history with International Booker Prize win
Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyle(Getty)Taiwan Travelogue, written by Yang Shuang-zi and translated by Lin King, has been awarded the International Booker Prize, making it the first winning book translated from Mandarin Chinese and the first time a Taiwanese writer and Taiwanese-American translator have received the honour. The novel follows a Japanese novelist with a “monstrous appetite” on a culinary tour through 1930s Japan-occupied Taiwan, accompanied by a local interpreter, exploring the complexities of their burgeoning relationship. Published in English in March after its original 2020 Mandarin Chinese release, the 'captivating' book explores themes of colonialism, power, class, and love, with judges praising its dual success as both a romance and an incisive postcolonial novel. The £50,000 prize money was equally divided between author Yang Shuang-zi and translator Lin King, with the award presented at a ceremony held at London’s Tate Modern. Natasha Brown, chairwoman of the 2026 judges, commended the book for its nuanced exploration of power imbalances and its intriguing metafictional layers, noting its previous win of Taiwan’s highest literary honour, the Golden Tripod Award.In fullTaiwan Travelogue becomes first Mandarin novel to win International Booker PrizeThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
