According to the Ministry of Culture, titled "2021 TAIWAN BOOKSTAR," an introductory guide to Taiwanese books has been published for Japanese readers, featuring 18 Japanese translated books selected by frontline workers in bookstores.
Under the themes of "Literature Dream," "Life in South," and "Taiwanese Workers," the content of the 2021 TAIWAN BOOKSTAR spans the fields of Taiwan literature, lifestyle, and Taiwan’s workers.
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The selected titles include "The Land of Little Rain (苦雨之地)" by Wu Ming-yi (吳明益), "Somewhere far from Pluto (比冥王星更遠的地方)" by Huang Chong-kai (黃崇凱), "Taiwan chintz patterns (花樣時代：台灣花布美學新視界)" by Chen Tsun-ping (陳宗萍), and "Under the Same Moon (同一個月亮)" by Jimmy (幾米), and others.
To help Japanese readers become more familiar with Taiwanese writers, the booklet specially introduces the creative experience of writers Alice Tsai (蔡素芬), Ho Ching-yao (何敬堯), and Ye Zhen-fu (焦桐).
Director Alice Wang Shu-fang (王淑芳) of the Ministry of Culture’s Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo stated that the name of the booklet symbolizes Taiwanese writers who are like distant and shining stars that illuminate everyone. "Southern dream" is the theme of this year, with the aim of introducing Taiwan to the Japanese people.
“2021 TAIWAN BOOKSTAR” spans the fields of Taiwan literature, lifestyle, and Taiwan’s workers. (Photo / Provided by the Ministry of Culture)
Taiwanese illustrator Chen Yu-lin (陳又凌), the winner of the Bologna Illustrators Exhibition, was invited to draw illustrations for the cover of the booklet. To present Taiwan's rich and diverse natural and cultural landscape, the featured images include Alishan Forest Railway, Formosan Black Bear, Mikado Pheasant, Jiaming Lake, and performing arts groups: Cloud Gate Dance Theatre (雲門舞集), and U-Theatre (優人神鼓).
The Japanese booklet is currently on display at the Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo, at more than 90 bookstores, and institutions related to Taiwan in Japan. It is also available for free collection and the digital version is available on the website of the Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo.
