Ministry of Culture-Performance Venues & Architectural Heritage

The Cultural Division of the Taipei Representative Office in Italy and the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Roma Tre University hosted a project titled "Translation and Promotion of TV Dramas Adapted from Classic Taiwanese Literature."

The project consisted of two seminars on Taiwanese literary masters held at Roma Tre University on Oct. 21 and Nov. 9, with indigenous Taiwanese author Syaman Rapongan invited to give a talk online on the adaptation of his work "Old Seafarer."

Along the way, the author also shared insights into the traditional knowledge of the indigenous Tao tribe, wisdom from life on the sea, and his creative process with Italian teachers, students, and members of the public, providing the audience with an understanding of the development and prospects of "maritime Taiwanese literature." Despite having to give his talk online rather than in person due to the pandemic, the author was no less enthusiastic as he gave his discussion on the "marine knowledge of maritime people."

Rosa Lombardi, a professor from the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Roma Tre University, served as the moderator, leading the audience in an exploration into Syaman Rapongan’s maritime outlook. In addition to students and faculty from Roma Tre University, the talk also brought in professors from Ca' Foscari University of Venice and Sapienza University of Rome, lecturers from the University of Milan and the Conservatorio di Musica Santa Cecilia, and the local media. Those present pondered the author's lifetime of writing experience, the literature of maritime peoples and indigenous peoples living on the plains, the society of the Tao tribe on Taiwan's Orchid Island, the transmission of Indigenous cultures, and the creative mission of maritime literature.

Teng Mei-jung, head of the Cultural Division of the Taipei Representative Office in Italy, noted that the first year of the section’s existence coincides with the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri, the father of Italian literature. To help Italian readers access Taiwan’s diverse literary works, the Cultural Division has cooperated with the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Cultures of Roma Tre University to help it link up with the Ministry of Culture's "Reading Taiwan" project with the purpose to screen a series of 10 Taiwanese literary adaptations with Italian translations. Since Oct. 13, five screenings, promotional activities and two online seminars have been held, with five more events to follow. Enthusiasts for Taiwanese literature are welcome to join and explore the unique role Taiwanese literature plays in the Chinese literary world.