WANG Wen-Hsin

(note: photography is provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press.)

Born

Born on the 24th of the ninth month on the Chinese lunar calendar (November 4th) in Fuzhou, Fujian province of southern China. His grandfather, Wang Shouchang (1864-1926),had been one of the first group of youngsters sent to study in Europe by the Qing court, among whom was Zan Tianyou, a well-known pioneering railroad engineer in China. Wang Shouchang co-translated French author Alexandre Dumas’ The Lady of the Camellias with his good friend Lin Shu (1852-1924) with the purpose to help him cope with the grief of losing his wife, which marked the initiation of Lin’s literary translation career.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press)

Moved to Xiamen

Relocated with his family to Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian, at the age of three. During the Sino-Japanese war both the first and second elementary schools he attended were destroyed by enemy bombing and heavy daily air raids forced his schooling to stop.

(note：Photograph provided by Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing)

Returned to Fuzhou

As the family moved back to Fuzhou after the war, the fishing boat they were traveling in encountered pirates, but the passengers were spared as there was little to loot. They also survived a fire that broke out on the boat one night. After reaching Fuzhou, Wang’s father fell ill from a plague that broke out in the city, but fortunately survived.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; With his mother in Fuzhou in about 1945)

Moved to Taiwan

Moved to Donggang in southern Taiwan with his family. He went to Donggang Elementary School. (He witnessed the 228 Incident, in which Donggang was involved.)

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press;Taken during the Donggang Elementary School years)

Moved to Taipei

Moved with his family to Kishu An on Tong’an Street in Taipei. Due to his incomplete schooling record he was placed in the third grade starting in the spring semester at the Taipei Mandarin Experimental School.

(note：Photograph provided by Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing)

Graduated from Elementary School

Graduated from the elementary school and passed the entrance examination to enter the junior high division of The Affiliated Middle School of Taiwan Normal College (Today’s The Affiliated Middle School of National Taiwan Normal University)

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; Taken in junior high)

Graduated from high school

Graduated from junior high and was admitted to the senior division of the same high school on the basis of his superior grades. He decided to become a writer and began to immerse himself in reading English novels and other translated Western works.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; Taken in senior high)

Studied in Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at National Taiwan University

After high school, he passed the entrance examination and was qualified to study in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at National Taiwan University. During the university years, he did substantial reading every day in the library. He appreciated the teaching of Professor Li Liewen, who taught him basic French and enjoyed the novels translated by the professor. He was also grateful to Jacob Korg, a visiting scholar and well-known critic from the United States, who provided him guidance on reading English poetry and the works of D.H. Lawrence.

First Published Story

“The Lingering Night” was published in Hong Kong, and other works subsequently appeared in such local journals as University Life and Literary Review.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; With parents during university years)

Modern Literature

He co-established the journal Modern Literature with friends in the summer of the third year at the university. Since then, except for “Conclusion” (1961), all his stories were published in the journal until the publication of the novella “Dragon Inn”.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press)

Nafang’ao

Graduated from the university in June. He was transferred back to Taipei to continue the compulsory military service after being stationed for four months (1961.12-1962.04) in Nanfang’ ao of eastern Taiwan. The location’s scenery had great influence on him and was later taken to be the settings of his works “The Day of the Sea-Goddess” and Backed against the Sea.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; Outing with colleagues of Modern Literature, from the left in the back: Du Guoqing, Wang Zhenhe, Chen Ruoxi, Pai Hsien-yung, Wang Guoxiang, Wang Wen-xing, Shen Hua, Ouyang Tzu)

Studied in the United States

Entered the creative writing program and received an MFA in the English Department at the University of Iowa in the United States. He worked part-time at a Chinese restaurant in the Chinatown in Washington D.C. during his stay in the country.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; Taken at the University of Iowa with Pai Hsien-yung in 1964)

Back to Taiwan to Teach

◆ Returned to Taiwan and worked as a lecturer in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at National Taiwan University. He taught courses on Western fiction, with emphasis on the close and meticulous reading of texts. ◆ He served as the chief editor of Modern Literature until November 1968 (from issue No. 26-35).

Began Family Catastrophe

Began to write his first novel Family Catastrophe on June 18, 1966.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press)

Dragon Inn

His first short story collection Dragon Inn was published by Wen Xin Publishing House, which included “The Day of the Sea-Goddess”, “Line of Fate”, “Cold Front”, “Flaw”, “Black Gown”, “Dragon Inn”.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; At Yehliu beach in 1967)

Got Married

◆ Married Chen Chu-Yun, whose family comes from Guangdong province of southern China.
◆ Obtained a fellowship to do research for a year at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; Married Chen Chu-Yun in 1969)

The Toy Revolver

The Toy Revolver, his second short story collection, was published by Zhiwen Publishing Company.Besides “The Toy Revolver” it included “The Happiest Thing", "Mother”, “Midsummer on the Prairie”, “Song of the Earth”, “Strong Wind”, “Calendar”, “Two Women”, “Contract Fulfilled” and “Notes from Office No. 3”.

Family Catastrophe

◆ Completed Family Catastrophe. It was serialized in Chungwai Literary Monthly from September 1972 to February 1973 (Vol. 1 No.4-No.9).
◆ Family Catastrophe was published in 1973 by Huanyu Publishing Company in 1973.

(note：The cover of Chungwai Literary Monthly vol.1 no.4)

Began Backed against the Sea

Began to write his second novel Backed against the Sea.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press)

Exchange Scholar in the United States

Served as exchange scholar and carried out research at the University of Florida at Jacksonville in the United States for one year.

Fifteen Short Stories

◆ Promoted to position of professor at National Taiwan University, continues to teach Western fiction.
◆ Completed vol. 1 of Backed against the Sea.
◆ Publication of Fifteen Short Stories, the combination of Dragon Inn and The Toy Revolver, by Hongfan Bookstore.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; Wang teaching novels at National Taiwan University in 1981)

Serialization of Backed against the Sea

Backed against the Sea serialized in China Times from September 14-18, 1980.

Father Passed Away

◆ Father passed away.
◆ Backed against the Sea vol. 1 published by Hongfan Bookstore.

(note：The cover of Backed against the Sea)

Baptism

Baptized into the Catholic church.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; Baptized in a Catholic church in Taipei city’s Guting District in 1985)

International Conference on Literature and Religion

Selected as one of the writers featured in the first International Conference on Literature and Religion sponsored by Taiwan’s Fu Jen University, together with British writer Graham Greene and Japanese author Shasaku Endo. He gave a keynote speech on the classical Chinese theme of a gentleman’s willingness to lay down his life for a friend. He also held a dialogue with Endo on the latter’s novel Silence and his own Family Catastrophe.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; The poster of Fu Jen University’s first International Conference on Literature and Religion, in which Graham Green (middle) Shasaku Endo (left) and Wang were the featured writers)

One-Act Play “M and W”

◆ Published his first critical essay collection Books and Films by Unitas Publishing Co.
◆ Published his first one-act play “M and W” in the July issue of Unitas, which was performed in August by Tainaner Ensemble at Huaden Art Center in Tainan.

Mother Passed Away

English edition of Family Catastrophe

◆ English edition of Family Catastrophe published.
◆ Attended a conference for international writers in Berlin (October 3-8), in which he gave a speech on the German translation of Backed against the Sea, vol. 1.

(note：The cover of the English version of Family Catastrophe)

Backed against the Sea vol.2 Completed

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press)

Selected as one of the Top 100 Chinese Fictions

◆ Backed against the Sea, vol 2, published by Hongfan Bookstore.
◆ Processus Familial, the French version of Family Catastrophe published by Actes Sud.
◆ Family Catastrophe was selected as one of the best 100 works of the 20th century Chinese fictions by Hong Kong-based Asia Weekly and as one of the best 30 Taiwanese literary works by Taiwan’s Council for Cultural Affairs. He also discussed his book in a seminar held by the council.
◆ Covered in a TV series that featured contemporary authors by Tzu Chi Da Ai TV.

(note：The cover of Processus Familial, the French version of Family Catastrophe)

Donation of Manuscripts

◆ New edition of Family Catastrophe published by Hongfan Bookstore.
◆ Featured in a special series of thirteen Chinese and Taiwanese influential authors by Chun Hui Ying Yeh.
◆ Donated to National Taiwan University Library the manuscripts of Family Catastrophe, Backed against the Sea, an assortment of notes and letters to friends. The library organized an exhibition of the donations between November 15 and December 31.

(note：Photograph provided by the courtesy of National Taiwan University Press; Photo taken by Chang Liang-gan in Oct 2000 )

Retirement

◆ Retired from National Taiwan University together with wife Professor Chen Chu-Yun.
◆ Started work on his third novel.

(note：Photograph provided by Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing; With wife at Nanfang’ao)

“Nights of the Shining Moon”

◆ New version of Books and Films was released by Unitas with the new addition of criticism and discussion on literature, paintings, religion, poems, and the short story “Nights of the Shining Moon”.
◆ Publication of “Nights of the Shining Moon,”, a work created for the invitation by the Centre National de la Reacherche Scientifique, which also invited the French writer Jacques Roubaud to write stories with a theme on “number” in mathematics. They both gave speeches and took part in a discussion on the creation of their works.

Honorary Doctorate

◆ Gave “Six Lectures on Family Catastrophe”, an event sponsored by National Central University in northern Taiwan.
◆ Received an honorary doctoral degree conferred by National Taiwan University on November 15.

◆ Gave two lectures on Family Catastrophe and “Line of Fate” in Singapore at the invitation of Raffles Junior College.
◆ Offered a series of six lectures on classical Chinese poems and prose.

(note：Photograph provided by Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing; In his study, 2009)

Taiwan’s National Award for Arts in Literature

◆ Gave a speech at “Reading and Writing at Art of Chinese Narrative Language: International Workshop on Wang Wen-Hsing’s Life and Works”, a conference among a series of events that featured Wang and his works held by the University of Calgary, Canada. Other events included the Canadian premiere of Wang’s play “M and W” in English and a public reading of a selection of his short stories.
◆ Awarded the 13th Taiwan’s National Award for Arts in Literature.

(note：Copy rights reserved by Public Television Service)

Six Lectures on Family Catastrophe

Six Lectures on Family Catastrophe published by Rye Field Publishing Co.

(note：Photograph provided by Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing; At the book launch of Six Lectures on Family Catastrophe with wife)

“Interpreting Modernism: International Conference on Wang Wen-Hsing”

◆ Offered a series of four classes on the Song Dynasty poet Xin Qiji.
◆ National Central University held “Interpreting Modernism: International Conference on Wang Wen-Hsing”. A documentary on Wang was screened at the conference, and “M and W” was performed in English.
◆ Gave six lectures on Backed against the Sea at National Central University and National Taiwan University.

(note：Photograph provided by Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing; With actors of the English version of “M and W” after performance)

Wang Wen-Hsing’s Manuscripts

Wang Wen-Hsing’s Manuscripts: Family Catastrophe , Backed against the Sea was published in November jointly by National Taiwan University Library, National Taiwan University Press, and Flâneur Culture Lab.

(note：Photograph taken from Wang Wen-Hsing’s Manuscripts; Each of the limited editions of Wang Wen-Hsing’s Manuscripts has a signed card inside)

Huazhong International Prize for Literature Written in Chinese

◆ Awarded the French Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters for 2010; ceremony held at National Taiwan University on April 22nd.
◆ Awarded the 2011 Huazhong International Prize for Literature Written in Chinese and received the award in Kuala Lumpur on August 27th.

(note：Photograph provided by Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing)

The Man behind the Book

◆ Premiere of the documentary film The Man Behind the Book (one of The Inspired Island: Series of Eminent Writers from Taiwan) on April 8th. It was screened between April 9th and May 6th at Changchun Ambassador Theater in Taipei.
◆Gave three additional lectures on Backed against the Sea at National Central University and National Taiwan University.

(note：Photograph provided by Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing; On the red carpet of the awarding ceremony of the 48th Golden Horse with wife)

Alchemist of Letters

The Public Television Service produced an episode of the series Face and Book on writers and their works."

(note：Copy rights reserved by Public Television Service)

Slow Reading of Wang Wen-hsing published

(note：Photograph provided Courtesy of National Taiwan University Press)

New Novel Completed

Finished writing his latest novel on 13th of May. The book is due to be published in 2016

(note：Photograph provided by Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing)

Man with Clipped Wings

Man with Clipped Wings published by Hongfan Bookstore.