Jenna Tang book talk poster

A Talk with Jenna Tang: Translator of Lin Yi-Han's Fang Si-Chi's First Love Paradise (Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024)

Events
Join us on Tuesday, September 24 from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm in CDRS (MN 3230) for a talk with Jenna Tang, translator of Lin Yi-Han's novel Fang Si-Chi's First Love Paradise.
 
Highlights of the talk will include discussion of:
  • the artistry and challenges of translating Chinese literature to English
  • the duality of aesthetics, betrayal, and love in literature
  • the novel's profound influence on the #MeToo movement in the Chinese-speaking world

This talk will be conducted in Chinese.

Special thanks to the Taipei Cultural Center of TECO in New York.

 

This event may involve topics about sexual violence, suicide and mental health issues, which are all critical themes that are detailed in the novel, Fang Si-Chi's First Love Paradise. If you feel overwhelmed, you may choose not to participate in the discussion, leave the event and/or ask for help if ever needed.

 

The English edition of Fang Si-Chi's First Love Paradise was published by HarperVia in the United States in June of this year. The translation was completed by Taiwanese writer and literary translator Jenna Tang. In an interview with the Central News Agency, Jenna expressed her hope that the translation would allow international readers to grasp the emotional journey of trauma survivors and offer a new opportunity for the Chinese edition to reach audiences, highlighting the book’s critical issues.

Jenna has been passionate about languages since childhood and began her translation work in high school. She studied French in the Department of European Languages and Literature at National Chengchi University and later pursued a Master’s degree in Creative Writing at The New School in New York. Now based in New York, Jenna works as both a writer and a translator. In 2021, she was recognized as one of the top eight emerging translators in the United States. She currently serves as Chair of the Equity Advocates Committee of the American Literary Translators Association, specializing in literary translation between Chinese, English, French, and Spanish.