Taiwanese writer Chi Ta-wei (紀大偉)'s 1996 novel “The Membranes” has seen global success in recent years, with translations in French, English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Italian, Finnish, Spanish, Danish, and forthcoming editions in Portuguese, Greek, and Vietnamese.

“The Membranes” is a dystopian fiction set in the 22nd century. Climate change has devastated Earth, and humans now live at the bottom of the sea. The protagonist is a dermatologist named Momo who can read her clients’ memories through their skins.

Chi Ta-wei is an important voice in Taiwanese queer literature.

We talk about the year 1994 - the era of Pulp Fiction, Nine Inch Nails, and Nirvana. In Taipei, a bookstore called FemBooks (女書店) was opened. Artists and students wanting international cinema flocked to the Golden Horse Film Festival.

One of Ta-wei’s contemporaries is the late author Qiu Miaojin (邱妙津). Ta-wei talks about why he and Qiu shared a fondness for Europe. We also talk about the Australian writer and translator Ari Heinrich who worked on English translations for both Chi Ta-wei and Qiu Miaojin.

Chi Ta-Wei also talks about his appreciation for translators, and advice for writers, editors, and publishers who are working on bringing Taiwanese books to the world.

For French listeners, here’s our Interview with theater director Cédric Delorme-Bouchard on the stage adaptation that premiered in Montreal 2024: https://ghostisland.media/en/shows/france-taiwan/membrane-cedric-delorme-bouchard

More on Chi Ta-wei: www.taweichi.com/

Links to the novel “The Membranes”:

(In English) “The Membranes” translated by Ari Heinrich (University of Columbia Press, 2021) - https://cup.columbia.edu/book/the-membranes/9780231195713

(En français) “Membrane” traduit par Gwennaël Gaffric (L'Asiathèque. 2020)
https://www.asiatheque.com/fr/livre/membrane

《膜》繁體中文版 (聯經出版, 1996) https://www.linkingbooks.com.tw/LNB/book/Book.aspx?ID=184182&vs=pc

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EPISODE CREDIT

Host / Emily Y. Wu @emilyywu
Editing / Zack Chiang, Wayne Tsai
Researcher / Skylar Nguyen
A Ghost Island Media production / @ghostislandme

Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan

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This was the first Academy Awards nomination for a documentary from Taiwan. “Island in Between”《金門》was a nominee for Best Documentary Short at the 2024 Academy Awards.

In this 19-minute documentary, we see Kinmen (Quemoy) through the lens of filmmaker S. Leo Chiang (江松長) and the diverse cast of characters he meets there. Kinmen - made of a set of islands - is governed by Taiwan but sits just 2 miles across from China. Here Chiang portrays an “uneasy peace on the frontline between Taiwan and China.”

We talk about Kinmen, the making of the film, the path to the Oscars, and Chiang’s personal journey from being a parachute kid to the U.S., and his evolving identity as a Chinese, Taiwanese, American, and everything in between.

Chiang is co-founder of the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc). In 2009, Chiang was nominated for an Emmy for the documentary “A Village Called Versailles.”

“Island in Between” is produced by CNEX, and distributed by the New York Times Op-Docs. Producer, Jean Tsien. Watch: https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000009146242/island-in-between.html

Support us by donating on Patreon: http://patreon.com/taiwan

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Ghost Island Media | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Emily Y. Wu | Twitter @emilyywu
A Ghost Island Media production: www.ghostisland.media

Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan

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Alex Khomenko is the organizer of Taiwan Stands with Ukraine 台灣烏克蘭陣線. We talk about conducting citizen diplomacy at a time of war, Taiwan’s humanitarian aid to Ukraine and public donations that amounted to the sending of power generators and ambulances, Taiwan and Ukraine relations, and the internal politics the Ukrainian government may be facing at home.

Ukraine has no representatives based in Taiwan. When the war broke out on February 24, 2022, there were around 250 Ukrainians living in Taiwan. Many have had to do the difficult job of citizen diplomacy at a time of war.

They have formed groups to rally support from the Taiwanese public, the Taiwanese government, and foreign offices based in Taiwan. They have held fundraiser events, cultural days, demonstrations near the Moscow office, exhibitions at the National Human Rights Museum, and the two-year anniversary march.

They are the best example of citizen diplomacy, but at the worst of times.

Ukrainian Food day in Taipei (More info)
1-7pm on Sunday, March 10
Location: Bar FEST 台北市汀州路三段149號 - (Google Map)

For our previous interviews on Ukraine -
Olek Shyn on Game Changers with Emily Y. Wu - Watch Video
Dmytro Burtsev on Five Star Nation (Mandarin) - Listen

Follow and tag us on social media:
Ghost Island Media | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Emily Y. Wu | Twitter @emilyywu

Support us by donating on Patreon http://patreon.com/taiwan

A Ghost Island Media production: www.ghostisland.media

Support the show: https://patreon.com/Taiwan

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.