'Taiwan Travelogue' rethinks history, colonialism, and identity

The author and translator of Taiwan Travelogue, the winner of the 2026 International Booker Prize, discuss identity and history amid the debate over Taiwan's colonial ties to Japan and escalating geopolitical pressure from China.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/3870x2580+0+0/resize/3870x2580!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fc8%2F47%2F3cf652e843cebb9e17ddd85f9556%2Fgettyimages-2276769961.jpg' alt='Copies of the novel <em>Taiwan Travelogue</em>, which received the International Booker Prize this year, are seen at a bookstore in Taipei on May 21, 2026.'/><p>The author and translator of <em>Taiwan Travelogue, </em>the winner of the 2026 International Booker Prize, discuss identity and history amid the debate over Taiwan's colonial ties to Japan and escalating geopolitical pressure from China.</p><p>(Image credit: I-HWA CHENG)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-136110' />