Mandarin Book Club (ENG)

During The Week of the Banned Book, The Mandarin Book Club will discuss the novel Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi (winner of the 2026 International Booker Prize). A bittersweet love story that weaves together themes such as Taiwan’s colonial history, multilingualism, culinary traditions, and unequal power dynamics.

While Taiwan Travelogue itself is not a banned book, the work illustrates what happens when those in power attempt to control or even erase stories, languages, and cultural perspectives. At the same time, the book shows how literature—and translation in particular—can help make such voices accessible once again.

We are honoured to welcome Dutch literary translator Annelous Stiggelbout, who will share her experiences translating the novel, including the unexpected discoveries, challenges and amusing moments along the way. Viola Chen, founder of Book Digest, and Rachel Wu, founder of Rotterdam-based Little Book Project, will guide the conversation and in-depth Q&A. Together, we will discuss the novel and explore the translation process: What new meanings might emerge when different languages and cultures meet, and what can the untranslatable reveal about the art of translation?

To bring the novel beyond the page, a traditional Taiwanese snack and drink featured in the book will be prepared for everyone to sample. A small taste that brings the story off the page!

Practical information:

Date: 19 Sep Saturday

Time: 1-3 pm

Location: Central Library (Librijesteeg 4), Zaal 010, 3rd Floor

Event language: English

This event is free of charge with limited seats. Please register to confirm your participation.

*Reading Taiwan Travelogue beforehand will make the conversation even more engaging, but everyone is welcome to join and discover the book with us.