LONDON: Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi and translator Lin King won the 2026 International Booker Prize on Tuesday for Taiwan Travelogue, marking a historic first for Taiwanese literature and Mandarin Chinese fiction in the prestigious award’s history.
The award was announced during a ceremony at Tate Modern in London, where the annual prize recognises the finest works of fiction translated into English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland.
Originally published in Mandarin in 2020, Taiwan Travelogue became the first novel translated from Mandarin Chinese to receive the International Booker Prize. Yang Shuang-zi also became the first Taiwanese author to win the award since its current format was introduced a decade ago.
Set in Japanese-occupied Taiwan during the 1930s, the novel is framed as a rediscovered Japanese travel memoir written by fictional author Aoyama Chizuko. The narrative follows Chizuko’s culinary journey across colonial Taiwan and explores the evolving relationship between the traveller and her Taiwanese interpreter, Chizuru.
Chair of judges Natasha Brown praised the novel for blending romance with sharp postcolonial commentary.
“This is a book that surprises and isn’t perhaps what it seems like on the surface,” Brown said during the announcement. She described the novel as “a captivating, slyly sophisticated work” that successfully combines emotional depth with political and historical insight.
The winning title surpassed five other shortlisted books, including works by French writer Marie NDiaye, Brazilian author Ana Paula Maia, German writer Shida Bazyar, Bulgarian poet Rene Karabash, and German-Austrian novelist Daniel Kehlmann.
The International Booker Prize carries a cash award of £50,000 ($67,000), divided equally between the author and translator, highlighting the growing recognition of literary translation in global publishing.
Before receiving international acclaim, Taiwan Travelogue had already secured Taiwan’s top literary honour, the Golden Tripod Award. The English translation by Lin King marked the first time Yang’s work became available to English-speaking readers.
Speaking after the win, Yang jokingly remarked that the novel’s themes of travel and food had significantly impacted her personal life, saying: “My savings went down; my weight went up.”