'Taiwan Travelogue' wins International Booker Prize 2026
What's the story
Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi's novel Taiwan Travelogue has made history by winning the 2026 International Booker Prize. The book is the first translated from Mandarin Chinese to win the prestigious award. It was translated into English by Lin King and published by independent UK publisher And Other Stories. The £50,000 ($67,000) prize money will be split equally between Yang and King, per the BBC.
Novel's theme
Story of 'Taiwan Travelogue'
Set in the 1930s when Taiwan was under Japanese rule, Taiwan Travelogue tells the story of Aoyama Chizuko, a Japanese writer on a government-sponsored tour of Taiwan. She falls in love with her Taiwanese translator O Chizuru. The novel delves into themes of love, culture, colonial history, and power. It was initially published as a rediscovered travel memoir with fictional footnotes that misled many readers into thinking it was based on a real historical text.
Critical acclaim
Judges praised the novel's nuanced storytelling
Natasha Brown, chair of the judging panel, called Taiwan Travelogue "a captivating, slyly sophisticated novel." She praised its nuanced storytelling and layered narrative. The judges emphasized the importance of translation in literature with Brown saying books are "these little empathy machines." Yang dedicated her win to Taiwan's struggle for identity and sovereignty while accepting the award.
Publishing impact
King's translation previously won National Book Award
King's translation of Taiwan Travelogue won the National Book Award for Translated Literature in 2024. She called the book a conscious challenge to publishing conventions, refusing to simplify Taiwan's multilingual and multicultural reality. The novel has been translated into over a dozen languages since its original Mandarin publication in 2020. It won Taiwan's Golden Tripod Award in 2021 before winning the International Booker Prize.