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French publisher releases novella, short stories from Taiwan

  • Date:2017-06-01~2017-06-06
French publisher releases novella, short stories from Taiwan

French publisher L'Asiatheque has released a novella by Wu Ming-yi (吳明益) and a short story collection by various Taiwanese authors this March.


"The Magician on the Bridge (Le Magicien sur la passerelle)” is the third book by Wu that is released in the French language, following "Routes in the Dream (睡眠的航線)” and "The Man with the Compound Eyes (複眼人).”


Translated by Gwennael Gaffric, "The Magician on the Bridge” consists of ten short stories that are told from the perspective of a child. Set in the backdrop of 1970s to 1990s Taipei, the stories are deftly connected together via the theme of a magician on a bridge.


The novella brings back the collective memories of the once-prosperous Guang Hua Digital Plaza. Since its publication, "The Magician on the Bridge” has received positive feedback and is recommended by Fnac Nantes for its poetic style and fantastical elements.


As one of the most popular authors in Taiwan, Wu is also a green activist who expresses his environmental concerns through writings. As such, Wu's "The Man with the Compound Eyes” with its eco-themes is the first Taiwan novel published by mainstream publishing houses in France and the United States.


"Taipei Stories Around the Corner (Taipei-histoires au coin de la rue)” contains stories by nine authors including Wu. They are Jian Zhen (簡媜), Lin Yao-de (林燿德), Luo Yi-jun (駱以軍), Walis Nokan (歷斯.諾幹), Chi Da-wei (紀大偉), Chang Wan-kang (張萬康), and Zhou Dan-ying (周丹穎).


The collection offers glimpses of Taipei city from different cultural perspectives. In addition, quotes taken from "Taipei Street Food (臺北小吃)” by Shu Kuo-zhi (舒國治) are added in between chapters to highlight the nation's food culture.


L'Asiatheque's publishing objectives are to make books from Asia, Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Africa available to French readers. In 2015, it established a "Taiwan Fiction” series with Gwennael Gaffric serving as section editor.


The Taiwan Fiction series focuses on selecting Taiwanese literature that explore environmental issues, cultural identity, dialects, and gender, as well as the impact of colonialism on collective memories and the influence of globalization upon traditional lifestyles.


The series had previously published the film script "A City of Sadness (悲情城市)” by Chu Tien-wen (朱天文) and Wu Nien-jen (吳念真), and the sci-fi novel "Membrane (膜)” by Chi, whose short story will also appear in "Taipei Stories Around the Corner.”


The Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris will also invite featured authors Wu, Shu, and Zhou to promote their books and host several forums in Paris, Lille, Rennes, and Saint-Malo this June.


For more information, please visit http://www.ccacctp.org/.


Jeudi 1 juin 14h-17h30 à Paris
Rencontres de Shu Kuo-chih et Wu Ming-yi (tr. G.Gaffric)
(Lieu à confirmer)

Vendredi 2 juin 18h-19h30 à Paris
Rencontre à la Librairie Le Phénix
72 Boulevard de Sébastopol, 75003 Paris
« Taipei ville de littérature »
Shu Kuo-chih, Wu Ming-yi, Chou Tan-ying (tr. G.Gaffric)

Samedi 3 juin 14h-16h à Rennes
« Café littéraire » à la Librairie Le Fallier
8-14 Rue Saint-Georges, 35000 Rennes
Table ronde animée par G.Gaffric autour de la littérature taïwanaise
Shu Kuo-chih, Wu Ming-yi, Chou Tan-ying, tr. G.Gaffric

Dimanche 4 juin à Saint-Malo
Festival des Etonnants Voyageurs
(Horaires de séances à confirmer)

Lundi 5 juin à Saint-Malo
Festival des Etonnants Voyageurs
(Horaires de séances à confirmer)

Mardi 6 juin de 18h à 19h30 à Lille
Rencontre à la Librairie Internationale V.O.
53 Rue du Molinel, 59000 Lille
« Taipei ville de littérature »
Shu Kuo-chih, Wu Ming-yi, Chou Tan-ying, tr. G.Gaffric

Entrée libre à toutes les séances dans la limite des places disponibles.



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