臺灣文學虛擬博物館

Wang Wen-hsing is one of the most distinguished writers in contemporary Taiwan. His two novels, Family Catastrophe and Backed Against the Sea, embody some quintessential elements of modernist aesthetics. Dimensions of narrative language, especially its psycho-acoustic effects and symbolic potentialities, are explored to the fullest extent therein. Probing the dark recesses of family ethics and exposing the limits of human dignity, these works pose serious challenges to Taiwan’s conservative and conformist dominant culture formed in the martial-law period. Wang’s relentless endeavors to build a distinctive model of literary creation has earned him enormous reverence in academic circles. Further testimonials of his exceptional achievement include two prestigious awards, the Taiwan’s National Award for Arts in Literature (2009) and the French Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (2011).——Sung-Sheng Yvonne Chang

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 c...

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 st...

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 Fuzh...

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

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.

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)

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

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 ap...

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