A Taiwan-themed lecture, co-organized by the Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia and a Malaysian independent bookstore Monsoon Books (季風帶), was held in Malaysia, featuring prominent figures from Taiwan’s cultural sector. Author Chiang Ya-ni (蔣亞妮) participated in the second series of lectures, which took place from Sept. 5 to 7, where she discussed the topic of Taiwanese women and literature.
Chiang made her literary debut in 2015 with the prose collection “Please Log into the Game (請登入遊戲),” followed by “Writing You (寫你)” in 2017 and “I’m Telling You to Not Tell Anyone (我跟你說不要跟別人說)” in 2020. She has received prestigious awards such as the Taipei Literature Award, the Ministry of Education Literature and Arts Awards, and the Emerging Artists Award from the Ministry of Culture. Chiang's writing is imbued with strength and through her writings, she explores her past and her relationships with others.
The Cultural Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia looks forward to using this lecture on Taiwanese women's literature as an opportunity to examine how female authors depict their families, lives, relationships, and bodies in their writings, so as to collectively gain insights into the stories of women and literature. The lecture tour will cover three locations, beginning at Book Island (島讀), an independent bookstore in Penang, Malaysia, and then proceeding south to Monsoon Books in Selangor and Kluang Days (廣日子) in Kluang.
The lecture series is a newly launched event this year, featuring three representative figures from Taiwan's cultural scene. In early August, Zhan Zheng-de (詹正德), the manager of a Taiwanese leading independent bookstore You He Book (有河書店), provided insights into the current state of Taiwan's independent bookstores and publishing industry. In September, the focus shifted to Chiang as the next speaker in line.