SEOUL, South Korea (Yonhap News Agency) – Taiwanese novelist Chen Sihong visited South Korea recently, engaging in a dialogue with media journalists and sharing his experiences as a writer and gay man. Chen, whose works have been published in various languages, spoke about the power of literature to heal and inspire, emphasizing its potential to save the souls of the youth.
Chen, who is currently based in Berlin, Germany, has made a name for himself as a novelist, translator, and actor. His latest visit to South Korea was in connection with the 2024 Seoul International Writers Festival, which was hosted by the Korea Literature Translation Institute.
During his visit, Chen discussed his life’s journey as a writer and gay man, highlighting the challenges he faced and the inspiration he drew from literature. He shared his personal insights into his creative process, drawing on his own experiences and those of the characters in his novels.
One of Chen’s most notable works is Ghost Place, which was published in South Korea in January 2024. The novel, which was awarded the 44th Golden Bell Award for Literary Books and the 2020 Taiwan Literary Gold Medal Award, tells the story of a family from Yongjing Town in Taiwan’s central region during the 1980s. The protagonist, Tianhong, is the youngest son of the family and struggles with his identity as a gay man in a conservative society.
Chen revealed that the novel is deeply rooted in his own experiences, as he comes from a farming family in Yongjing with seven older sisters. He said that the book is about the story of the defeated, with the protagonist being a gay man. Although same-sex marriage is legal in Taiwan, it is still difficult for gay people to be accepted in rural areas.
The Korean version of Ghost Place has sold 15,000 copies, receiving widespread acclaim. Chen expressed his gratitude for the positive response from Korean readers, who have shared their own experiences of pain and suffering, drawing parallels between the novel’s story and their own lives.
In addition to Ghost Place, Chen’s other novel, The 67th Pangolin, was also published in South Korea. The story focuses on the relationship between a gay man and a woman he has known since childhood. Chen admitted that the novel is quite sad and heavy, but he believes in the power of tears and wants to encourage readers to express their emotions freely.
Chen shared his own experiences of struggling to hide his true identity, which led him to explore the works of other writers and filmmakers from around the world. He said that literature and film can save the souls of the youth in conservative societies, and he believes that this is true for South Korea as well.
As Chen Sihong’s visit to South Korea comes to a close, his works continue to resonate with readers and inspire them to confront their own challenges. His message is clear: literature has the power to heal, to inspire, and to save the souls of the youth.
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