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Chronology
1939
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
1939
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...
1942
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...
Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing
1945
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...
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1946
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.)
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1948
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.
Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing
1951
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)
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1954
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.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1957
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...
1958
“The Lingering Night” was published in Hong Kong, and other works subsequently appeared in local journals such as University Life and Literary Review.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1960
He co-founded the journal Modern Literature with friends in the summer of his junior year at the university. Since then, except for “Conclusion” (1961), all his stories were published in the journal until the publication of the novella “Dra...
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1961
Graduated from the university in June.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1961
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 se...
1963
Entered the creative writing program and received an MFA in the English Department at the University of Iowa, United States. He worked part-time at a Chinese restaurant in the Chinatown in Washington D.C. for a period of time.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1965
Returned to Taiwan and worked as a lecturer in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures at National Taiwan University. He taught courses on fiction, with emphasis on close reading of texts.
1965
He served as the chief editor of Modern Literature ?until November 1968 (from issue No. 26-35).
1966
Began to write his first novel Family Catastrophe on June 18, 1966.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1967
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”.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1969
Married Chen Chu-Yun, whose family comes from Guangdong province of southern China.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1969
Obtained a fellowship to do research for a year at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
1970
The Toy Revolver, his second short story collection, was published by Zhiwen Publishing Company.Besides “The Toy Revolver,” it also included “The Happiest Thing", "Mother”, “Midsummer on the Prairie”, “Song of the Earth”, “Strong...
1972
Completed Family Catastrophe. It was serialized in Chungwai Literary Monthly from September 1972 to February 1973 (Vol. 1 No.4-No.9).
1973
Family Catastrophe was published in 1973 by Huanyu Publishing Company in 1973.
1974
Began to write his second novel Backed against the Sea.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1976
Served as visiting scholar and carried out research at the University of Florida at Jacksonville, United States, for one year.
1979
Promoted to professor at National Taiwan University, and continued teaching Western fiction.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1979
Completed vol. 1 of Backed against the Sea.
1979
Publication of Fifteen Short Stories, the combination of Dragon Inn and The Toy Revolver, by Hongfan Bookstore.
1980
Backed against the Sea serialized in China Times from September 14-18, 1980.
1981
Father passed away.
1981
Backed against the Sea vol. 1 published by Hongfan Bookstore.
1985
Baptized and became a Christian.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1986
Selected as one of the writers featured in the 1st International Conference on Literature and Religion hostedby Taiwan’s Fu Jen Catholic University, together with British writer Graham Greene and Japanese author Shasaku Endo. He delivered a keynote sp...
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1988
Published his first critical essay collection Books and Films by Unitas Publishing Co.
1988
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.
1989
Mother Passed Away.
1995
English edition of Family Catastrophe published.
1995
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.
1997
Backed against the Sea vol.2 Completed.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
1999
Family Catastrophe was selected as one of the best 30 Taiwan literary classics by Taiwan’s Council for Cultural Affairs. He also discussed the novel in a seminar held by the council.
1999
Processus Familial, the French version of Family Catastrophe published by Actes Sud.
1999
Family Catastrophe was selected as one of the best 100 literary works of the 20th century by Hong Kong-based Asia Weekly.
1999
Backed against the Sea, vol 2, published by Hongfan Bookstore.
1999
Covered in a TV series that featured contemporary authors by Tzu Chi Da Ai TV.
2000
New edition of Family Catastrophe published by Hongfan Bookstore.
2000
Donated to National Taiwan University Library the manuscripts of Family Catastrophe, Backed against the Sea, and an assortment of notes and letters to friends. The library organized an exhibition of the donations between November 15 and Dec...
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Library Collection
2000
Featured in a special series of thirteen Chinese and Taiwanese influential authors by Spring Entertainment.
2005
Retired from National Taiwan University together with his wife Professor Chen Chu-Yun.
Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing (taken by Hung San-hui)
2005
Began working on his third novel
2006
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 inspired by mathematics. They both gave speeche...
2006
New version of Books and Films was released by Unitas with new chapters on criticism and discussion on literature, paintings, religion, poems, and the short story “Nights of the Shining Moon”.
2007
Gave “Six Lectures on Family Catastrophe”, an event held by National Central University in northern Taiwan.
2007
Received an honorary doctoral degree conferred by National Taiwan University on November 15.
2008
Gave two lectures on Family Catastrophe and “Track of Fate” in Singapore at the invitation of Raffles Junior College.
Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing (taken by Hung San-hui)
2008
Offered a series of six lectures on poems and prose.
2009
The Art of Chinese Narrative Language: International Conference 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 ...
2009
Awarded the 13th Taiwan’s National Award for Arts in Literature.
2009
Six Lectures on Family Catastrophe published by Rye Field Publishing Co.
Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing (taken by Hung San-hui)
2010
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.
Courtesy of Hung San-hui
2010
Gave six lectures on Backed against the Sea at National Central University and National Taiwan University.
2010
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.
Taken from <i>Wang Wen-Hsing’s Manuscripts</i>
2011
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 betwee...
Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing
2011
Awarded the French Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters for 2010; ceremony held at National Taiwan University on April 22nd.
2011
Awarded the 2011 Huazhong International Prize for Literature Written in Chinese and received the award in Kuala Lumpur on August 27th.
Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing
2011
Gave three additional lectures on Backed against the Sea at National Central University and National Taiwan University.
2013
Slow Reading of Wang Wen-hsing published.
Courtesy of National Taiwan University Press
2014
The Public Television Service produced an episode of the series Face and Book on writers and their works. The third episode “Wang Wen-Hsing: the alchemist of language” featured Wang.
2015
Finished writing his latest novel on 13th of May. The book's publication will be scheduled on 2016.
Courtesy of Wang Wen-Hsing
2016
Man with Clipped Wings published by Hongfan Bookstore.
2019
Ana-Chronicle: 12 short stories published.
2023
1939-2023
