Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi and translator Lin King won the International Booker Prize for ‘Taiwan Travelogue’. It is the first book translated from Mandarin Chinese to win the International Booker Prize. The announcement was made by award-winning author Natasha Brown, chair of the 2026 judges, at a ceremony at London’s Tate Modern on May 19. Set in 1930s Japan-controlled Taiwan, the book takes the form of a fictional translation of a rediscovered Japanese travel memoir penned by fictional writer Aoyama Chizuko. It traces Chizuko’s travels and gastronomic adventures across the colonial outpost, and the intimate relationship she develops with her Taiwanese interpreter Chizuru. The International Booker Prize, formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize, has been awarded since 2005. It is a sister prize to the Booker Prize, awarded to a novel written in English. The International Booker Prize recognises the vital work of translation, with the £50,000 prize money divided equally between the author and the translator.
Set against the backdrop of Japanese-occupied Taiwan in 1938, Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi is a richly layered exploration of colonialism, cultural identity, memory, and human relationships. Recently shortlisted for the 2026 International Booker Prize and later awarded the prize on May 19, 2026, the novel follows Japanese novelist Aoyama Chizuko, who travels through Taiwan to document the island’s culture and cuisine. Written as a fictional travelogue complete with footnotes by translators and publishers, the novel cleverly blurs the boundaries between history, fiction, and interpretation. At the heart of the narrative is Chizuko’s relationship with her Taiwanese interpreter, Oh Chizuru. While Chizuko sees herself as open-minded and appreciative of Taiwanese culture, the novel subtly exposes the limitations of her colonial perspective. Chizuru, calm and observant, facilitates Chizuko’s experiences while quietly recognising the inequalities embedded in their interactions. Through food, train journeys, conversations, and moments of silence, the novel reveals the tensions between “mainlander” and “islander,” speaker and listener, coloniser and colonised. What makes the novel particularly compelling is its ability to capture emotional ambiguities and unspoken power dynamics. Chizuko’s fascination with Taiwan often overlooks the violence and displacement underlying colonial rule, while Chizuru’s restraint reflects the burden of navigating those realities. Yet despite these tensions, the two women share an undeniable emotional chemistry that raises difficult questions about friendship, love, and equality under colonialism.
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