"Voices from Alternative Literary Fields: Translating Taiwanese Literature into Italian"

While Italian literature, including the works of such writers as Umberto Eco and Italo Calvino, is widely accessible in Taiwan, regrettably, the reverse is not the case. Translation of Taiwanese literature into Italian lags behind its translation into French, as France is arguably the European country with the strongest interest in (translating) Chinese-language works. This chapter examines the current state of Italian translation of Taiwanese literary works in the framework of World literature studies, with a focus on the politics of translation and publication activity, such as the initial selection of works, key players at each stage, and overall reception of Taiwanese literature in Italy, as well as perspectives on and challenges entailed in Taiwanese literature reaching an Italian readership.