Taiwan Travelogue, a novel by Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi and translated into English by Lin King, has been awarded the Baifang Schell Book Prize for Outstanding Translated Literature from Chinese language, presented by the China Books Review. The honor follows the book’s 2024 U.S. National Book Award for Translated Literature, marking another milestone in bringing contemporary Taiwanese literature to the world.
Established in early 2025, the Baifang Schell Book Prize recognizes outstanding English-language works that deepen understanding of the wider Sinophone world. The prize is named in memory of Liu Baifang Schell, the late wife of Orville Schell—renowned American sinologist and Director of the Center on U.S.-China Relations at Asia Society. It is administered by the China Books Review, a joint publication of Asia Society’s Center on U.S.-China Relations and The Wire China.
The prize features two categories: the Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Book on China or the Sinophone World and the Award for Outstanding Translated Literature from Chinese Language, which is shared between the author and the translator.
Described as a “bittersweet story of love between two women, nested in an artful exploration of language, history, and power,” Taiwan Travelogue captivated the jury with its narrative richness and subtle emotional depth. The judges commented: "Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s narrative gifts reveal layer after layer behind what appears to be a mere travelogue, while Lin King’s artful translation allows tension to swell beneath the surface."
The jury also awarded an Honorable Mention to Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise by Yi-han Lin, translated by Jenna Tang, commending it as "a courageous portrayal of the mind of the victim in sexual predation."
Other finalists for the Translated Literature category included Delicious Hunger by Hai Fan (tr. Jeremy Tiang), The Colonel and the Eunuch by Mai Jia (tr. Dylan Levi King), and Mourning a Breast by Xi Xi (tr. Jennifer Feeley).
The awards ceremony will take place on June 16, 2025, at Asia Society’s New York headquarters.
For the full list of award winners, please visit:
https://chinabooksreview.com/2025/05/13/2024-prize-winners/