Bridges between worlds: human and supernatural in contemporary Taiwanese literature.
This meeting with writer Tiunn ka-sióng (張嘉祥) and his troupe 裝咖人Tsng-kha-lâng is co-organized by Inalco's Chair in Taiwanese Studies, the Centre culturel de Taïwan à Paris and the Centre international des études taïwanaises of NTNU (the National Normal University of Taiwan).
In the world of writer Tiunn ka-sióng (張嘉祥) a secret bridge ceaselessly connects the real and supernatural worlds. His characters, anchored in the banality of everyday life, suddenly find themselves confronted by mysterious presences, voices from elsewhere, or forces beyond reason. This chiaroscuro writing reveals a multi-layered Taiwanese cultural landscape: the memory of ancient histories, the echoes of local legends, and human sensitivity in the face of the unknown and the invisible. In Tiunn ka-sióng the supernatural is never a mere narrative ornament; it becomes a pathway to the intimate and a key to probing contemporary society. His stories unfold like singular mirrors reflecting the singularity but also universality of contemporary Taiwan.
The Night Watchmen《夜官巡場 Iā-Kuan Sûn-Tiûnn》(2023), the first novel by Tiunn ka-sióng was awarded the Creative Prize for Young Authors by Taiwan's Ministry of Culture. In it, the writer blends childhood memories, local chronicles and popular beliefs linked to shadow deities, while integrating the February 28 incident. With vivid, imaginative language, he composes a narrative deeply rooted in Taiwanese reality, at once literary, magical and realistic, which takes the form of modern folk tales.
In 2021, the release of the album also titled 夜官巡場 Iā-Kuan Sûn-Tiûnn earned him a nomination for the 33ᵉ Golden Melody Award in the Best New Artist category.
About the author
Born in Taiwan, Tiunn ka-sióng belongs to that generation of writers who grew up in a context marked by profound social, political and cultural upheaval. Trained in literature and the humanities, he has integrated a dual perspective into his work: that of an attentive observer of everyday realities, and that of a passer sensitive to the invisible dimensions of human experience. Throughout his career, he has been involved in the literary world not only as a novelist, but also as a critic and educator, helping to spread the richness of Taiwanese letters both within the island and abroad.
His personal experiences - rooted in local traditions but open to intercultural dialogues - nourish his texts with a particular density. Zhang Jia-xiang's stories are inspired by family memories and tales handed down from generation to generation, but also by modern questions of identity, memory and the coexistence of visible and invisible worlds. This ability to place the intimate in a universal perspective enables him to offer a literature that transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries.
Thus, to read Tiunn ka-sióng is not only to plunge into the teeming imagination of a major Taiwanese writer, but also to discover a work that questions the very conditions of human existence: how to live with our shadows, how to listen to the voices of the past and how to build bridges between worlds.
Program
The evening of the encounter promises a journey in three stages:
- A privileged meeting with the author.
- A lively interpretation of his novel.
- A musical moment to close the experience in style sung by the writer and performed by his troupe 裝咖人Tsng-kha-lâng. Discover his music
