Chinese Name: 聶華苓
Born: Jan. 11, 1925
Died: Oct. 21, 2024
Birthplace: Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China
Did You Know That…?
Hualing Nieh Engle was honored as the “Mother of the World Literature Organization” for founding the Iowa International Writing Program (IWP). The IWP transcends the boundaries of nationality, race, and politics, inviting writers from across the globe to connect and exchange. Over the years, the program has benefited more than 50 Taiwanese writers, including Yang Kui (楊逵), Yu Kwang-chung (余光中), Pai Hsien-yung (白先勇), Wang Wen-hsin (王文興), Yang Mu (楊牧), Ya Hsien (瘂弦), and Lin Hwai-min (林懷民). This initiative has played a crucial part in introducing Taiwanese literature to international readers while fostering global peace and cultural exchange.
Hualing Nieh Engle was born in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, in 1925. At a young age, she experienced the hardships of the Chinese Civil War and the Second Sino-Japanese War. In 1948, she graduated from the National Central University in Nanking with a degree in Western Languages.
In 1949, Nieh moved to Taiwan, where she served as the literary editor and a member of the editorial board of the “Free China Journal (自由中國)” for eleven years. During this time, she was inspired by her colleagues Lei Chen (雷震) and Yin Hai-guang (殷海光) to advocate for liberty and democracy while rejecting dogmatic writing. Together with Lin Hai-yin (林海音), editor of the United Daily News (聯合報) supplement, they ushered in a new era for Taiwanese literature.
In 1960, following the closure of “Free China Journal,” Nieh began teaching at the National Taiwan University and Tunghai University (東海大學), working with writer Yu Kwang-chung at the latter. In 1963, during a dinner hosted by the Embassy of the United States, she met American poet Paul Engle, who invited her to visit the U.S.
In 1964, Nieh traveled to the U.S., settled down, and began teaching at the University of Iowa. In 1967, she co-founded the IWP with Paul Engle, and the pair married four years later. Supported by the U.S. Department of State, the IWP grew into a significant cultural institution and became internationally renowned. The program hosted more than 1,000 writers and poets from over 70 countries and regions, including Taiwan, Japan, France, East Germany, West Germany, the Philippines, China, India, Iran, Argentina, Panama, Cambodia, Libya, and Uganda. The program played a pivotal role in promoting world peace and fostering cultural exchange and global humanitarian development. In 1977, over 300 writers worldwide nominated Nieh and Paul Engle for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1981, they received the Governor’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the U.S.
Nieh’s literary creations include novels, prose, and translations, often exploring themes such as wartime memories, the displacement and loss experienced by those living far from home, and the challenges faced by women in turbulent times. Her early novels, rooted in realism, evolved into modernist works characterized by the prominent use of metaphors. Her acclaimed novel, “Mulberry and Peach (桑青與桃紅),” centers around a woman navigating life in China, Taiwan, and the U.S., while developing multiple personalities. The novel’s sensitive subject matter led to its ban in Taiwan during the period of martial law in the 1970s. The book censorship was lifted in 1988. The English translation, published by Beacon Press in 1990, won the American Book Award.
Nieh’s prose writings are often nostalgic and reflect on her experiences in China, Taiwan, and the U.S. With a contemplative tone, she used rich, delicate language to portray people and events from her life with sincerity and emotional depth. Her works have been published across Chinese-speaking regions, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia, and translated into various languages, such as English, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Hungarian, and Korean.
Nieh passed away in the U.S. on Oct. 21, 2024, at the age of 99. Over a career spanning half a century, she made a profound impact through her writing, editing, and efforts to bring Taiwanese literature to the international stage, fostering connections between Taiwan and the global literary community.