"A haunting novel . . . lyrically translated.” — Kirkus Reviews
As the one of the most influential books of Taiwan’s #MeToo movement, the English version of Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise (房思琪的初戀樂園) by Lin Yi-Han (1991-2017) will officially be published in the U.S. by HarperVia on May 21st, translated by Jenna Tang.
From May 21 to June 5, translator Jenna Tang will give six book talks in New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and Boston, engaging in conversations with prominent local authors and translators about this remarkable work.
Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise is a chilling tale of grooming and its lingering trauma, and the power structures that allow it to flourish. Insightful, unsettling, emotionally raw, it is a staggering work of literature that reverberates across cultures and forces readers to confront painful truths about the vulnerability and strength of women and those who use and hurt them.
Initially released in Taiwan in 2017, Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise was writer Lin Yi-Han’s debut and only novel. It achieved remarkable success, selling over one million copies worldwide, winning multiple literary prizes, and becoming a feminist manifesto throughout Asia. Translated editions in English, Korean, Thai, Japanese, Russian, and Polish further amplified its influence.
Mark your calendar to attend a book talk in your nearest city, where Jenna Tang will discuss the heartbreaking yet compelling narrative of Fang Si-Chi’s First Love Paradise, and her experience translating literature about trauma.
FANG SI-CHI’S FIRST LOVE PARADISE:
Book Tour with Translator Jenna Tang (in English)
【New York】Yu & Me Books
Tuesday 5/21, 6:00pm, in conversation with Alexa Frank
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【New York】Queens Public Library (Flushing)
Wednesday, 5/22, 5pm, in conversation with Hannah Bae
*Bookselling by Astoria Bookshop
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【Chicago】Seminary Co-op
Saturday, 5/25, 3pm, in conversation with Denise Kripper
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【St. Louis】Left Bank Books
Wednesday, 5/29, 6pm, in conversation with Kat Tang (also streaming online)
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【Boston】Brookline Booksmith
Friday, 5/31, 7pm, in conversation with Grace Talusan (also streaming online)
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【New York】Asian American Writer's Workshop (AAWW)
Wednesday, 6/5, 7pm, in conversation with Soje (also streaming online)
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About Jenna Tang
Jenna Tang is a Taiwanese writer and a literary translator who translates between Mandarin, French, Spanish, and English. She graduated from MFA in Fiction Creative Writing from The New School in New York City. Her translations and essays are published in The Paris Review, Latin American Literature Today, AAWW, McSweeney’s, Catapult, and elsewhere. Her interviews can be found at World Literature Today and Words Without Borders.
https://www.jennatang.com/