For the final Bookish Club of 2026, Beverley Wang delves into Taiwan Travelogue, Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s International Booker Prize-winning novel of language, history and power set in Japanese-occupied Taiwan.
Disguised as the translation of a rediscovered memoir, Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s Taiwan Travelogue is set in 1938 and follows novelist Aoyama Chizuko, who sails from Nagasaki to Taiwan on the invitation of the then-ruling Japanese government.
With an insatiable appetite, Chizuko eschews the official banquets and sets out to eat her way around the island, accompanied by her Taiwanese interpreter. Over bowls of braised pork rice and scenic trains rides, she becomes infatuated with her companion, determined to draw her closer. But despite Chizuko’s overtures, a distance remains between them.
Join broadcaster Beverley Wang and host Jess Ho at the Moat for a conversation about this many-layered novel that is both a story about sharing meals and a meditation on language, travel and how power dynamics shape and reshape even our most intimate relationships.
Strictly for audiences 18 and older. Drinks and nibbles will be provided.
Ticket holders are strongly encouraged to read Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ before attending this event so that they can contribute to the conversation in true book club fashion.
We recommend purchasing a copy from your favourite local bookstore or borrowing a copy from a library.
