The American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) announced the selection of 17 mentees for the 2024 Emerging Translator Mentorship Program (新銳譯者指導計畫). Among the mentees, Tony Hao (郝儀宸) has been chosen for the Literature from Taiwan mentorship. He will embark on a nine-month journey translating Taiwanese writer Tong Wei-ger (童偉格)’s acclaimed work, “Northwest Rain” (西北雨), under the expert mentorship of Steve Bradbury. This collaboration underscores the program’s potential to showcase and elevate Taiwanese literature onto the global stage.
“Northwest Rain,” winner of the 2010 Taiwan Literature Awards Golden Book Award, is a poignant exploration of familial bonds and the quest for the death and memories of the author’s father and family. Through the lyrical prose that portrays sorrow with surreal imagery, Tong Wei-Ger invites readers to embark on a sentimental journey.
Since its inception in 2015, the ALTA Emerging Translator Mentorship Program has been instrumental in fostering literary translations across diverse languages. In collaboration with the Taiwan Academy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, ALTA has expanded the program to include a dedicated focus on Taiwanese literature since 2020. This year’s winner, Tony Hao, is a recent graduate of Yale University with a background in English literature, fiction writing, journalism, and literary translation.
Founded in 1978, ALTA is an organization in the United States dedicated exclusively to literary translation. ALTA provides translation resources to academic institutions, presses, and individual translators. Through its annual conference, ALTA continues to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue and understanding, fostering connections among translators, publishers, and readers worldwide.
For more information, please visit the mentorship program’s website.