As Taiwanese literature is positioned within world literature, it faces challenges stemming from two dominant factors in book marketing strategies: sinocentrism and eurocentrism. Sinocentrism implies that Taiwan was historically regarded as “Free China” before 1990 and is now viewed, through the lens of PRC propaganda, as an integral part of China. When the global community yields to Chinese dominance, Taiwan, like Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet, is reduced to an extension of China, stripped of its unique culture. In this context, one might question the value of reading Taiwanese literature in translation if it is seen merely as a subset of Chinese literature.

A further complication arises from the intertwining of sinocentrism with eurocentrism. From a Western perspective, Taiwan, unlike other postcolonial countries, lacks canonical writers such as Salman Rushdie, Derek Walcott, and Gabriel García Márquez. Consequently, it remains on the periphery of world literature. Taiwan’s experience of Japanese colonization, rather than Western colonization, as Shu-mei Shih notes, results in its exclusion from the popular discipline of postcolonial studies, relegating it to the less attractive field of “Asian studies.” Unlike other Global South writers who are seamlessly integrated into postcolonial discourse, Taiwanese writers occupy an ambiguous space—pan-Asian, semi-Chinese, or Chinese-looking—which limits their access to the “international” (predominantly European-language-oriented) literary marketplace.

There are several strategies to challenge the predicaments of sinocentrism and eurocentrism. The first one is state patronage. Initiatives such as “Books from Taiwan,” the Ministry of Culture, the National Museum of Taiwan Literature, and the Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation have provided grants or helped establish book series in many countries. The Taiwanese government launched a translation program in 1990, now known as “Books from Taiwan.” Over its three decades in various forms, the program has provided financial support to publish the works of writers such as Wu Ming-yi (吳明益), Li Ang (李昂), Chiu Miao-chin (邱妙津), and Yang Mu (楊牧), who have become well-known globally, particularly among readers of English, French, German, Japanese, and Korean.

The government has also helped established book series. In the U.S., these include the Columbia University Press’s “Modern Chinese Literature from Taiwan” and Cambria Press’s “Literature from Taiwan.” In France, Marie Laureillard edits the “Poésie de Taïwan” series for the publisher Circé. Gwennaël Gaffric founded the “Taiwan Fiction” series for L’Asiathèque, featuring authors such as Chi Ta-wei (紀大偉), Walis Nokan (瓦歷斯・諾幹), and Huang Chong-kai (黃崇凱).

Many Taiwanese works have been translated into various languages, but not all achieve significant success. Some receive little audience after translation. However, several strategies can help overcome these barriers. Queer themes, for example, often attract a broader audience, as demonstrated by the success of Chiu Miao-chin’s Notes of a Crocodile (鱷魚手記, 1994) and Last Words from Montmartre (蒙馬特遺書, 1996), as well as Kevin Chen’s (陳思宏) Ghost Town (鬼地方, 2019). Indigenous stories and ecological issues also enhance the reception of Taiwanese works, such as Wu Ming-yi’s The Man with the Compound Eyes. Postcolonial heritage has attracted attention recently, as seen in Yang Shuang-zi’s Taiwan Travelogue: A Novel. Winning some prizes also boosts visibility; Ling Yü (零雨) just received the 2025 Newman Prize for Chinese Literature, Ko-hua Chen’s (陳克華) Decapitated Poetry (欠砍頭詩, 1995) won the Lucien Stryk Asian Translation Prize, and Yang Shuang-zi’s Taiwan Travelogue: A Novel received the 2024 National Book Award for Translated Literature, significantly raising their profiles. Furthermore, securing reviews in prominent publications, such as The New York Times review of Taiwan Travelogue, is crucial for gaining recognition. Platforms like Goodreads also play a significant role, with over 300 comments on the book Taiwan Travelogue, providing insight into how foreign readers perceive Taiwanese literature as distinct from Chinese literature.

My conclusion is that certain strategies, such as focusing on topical issues like indigenous, queer, or postcolonial themes, fostering strong cooperation between the Taiwanese government and foreign publishers, winning literary or translation prizes, and obtaining book reviews, can enhance the global visibility of Taiwanese literature. These strategies have been employed over the past two decades and can help challenge sinocentrism and eurocentrism.

Editor’s Note: This report was originally presented at a forum organized by Nicolai Volland for the Modern Language Association convention held in New Orleans, January 9–12, 2025. Speakers included Chialan Sharon Wang, E.K. Tan, Wendy Wan-ting Wang, Wen-chi Li, Chia-rong Wu, Kate Costello, and Nicolai Volland. Sung-sheng Yvonne Chang served as discussant. After the convention, the presenters agreed to share their texts with Taiwan Lit. Some participants, however, were unable to submit their contributions due to various circumstances.