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Edition 8 (2020) Winner
Chang Kuei-hsing
チャン・グイシン
Chang Kuei-hsing
Pen Names:
Zhang Guixing（Birth name / author name）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- North Borneo (Sarawak), Malaysia
- Nationality
- Malaysia, Taiwan
- Languages
- Chinese (Mandarin), Hakka, English
- Residence History
- Born in North Borneo (Sarawak), Malaysia → Taiwan (Taipei) - resident since 1976; teaching and writing career
Career
- Occupations
- author, novelist, educator, English teacher
- Active Years
- 1979-
- Affiliations
- High school in Taipei (long-serving English teacher)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Taiwan Normal University | Department of English | English | 学士 | 1976-1980 | Taiwan |
National Taiwan Normal University
Department of English
/ English
Degree:
学士
Period:
1976-1980
Year of Graduation:
1980
Country:
Taiwan
Moved to Taiwan on government scholarship programs and studied there
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Taiwan Literature Award | When Wild Boars Cross the River | — | Taiwan Literature Award Committee | 受賞 |
| 2020 | Dream of the Red Chamber Award (8th) | When Wild Boars Cross the River | 世界の優れた中国語小説 | Hong Kong Baptist University (Dream of the Red Chamber Award) | 受賞 |
| 2023 | Newman Prize for Chinese Literature | — | — | University of Oklahoma | 受賞 |
| 2000 | Multiple prizes for Monkey Cup | Monkey Cup | — | Various (Taiwan/Malaysia/Hong Kong) | 受賞 |
Taiwan Literature Award
2019
Work:
When Wild Boars Cross the River
Organization:
Taiwan Literature Award Committee
Result:
受賞
Dream of the Red Chamber Award (8th)
2020
Work:
When Wild Boars Cross the River
Category:
世界の優れた中国語小説
Organization:
Hong Kong Baptist University (Dream of the Red Chamber Award)
Result:
受賞
Newman Prize for Chinese Literature
2023
Organization:
University of Oklahoma
Result:
受賞
Multiple prizes for Monkey Cup
2000
Work:
Monkey Cup
Organization:
Various (Taiwan/Malaysia/Hong Kong)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Newman Prize for Chinese Literature
1 appearances
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Edition 8 (2023) Winner
Works
Major Works
Tiger Ambush
1979 Novel (fiction)An early work set against a Borneo backdrop; part of his early short/long fiction exploring regional themes.
jungleyouthidentity
Herd of Elephants
1998 Novel / Magic realismSet primarily in the Borneo rainforest, the novel uses human-animal metaphors to explore settler history, ethnic relations, and state violence, layering two homelands (Borneo and China) in a Sinophone metanarrative.
magic realismcolonialismethnic relationsmigration and memory
Translations
- Elephant Herd: A Novel. Translated by Carlos Rojas. Columbia University Press, 2025.
Monkey Cup
2000 NovelExplores human-animal relations and human brutality to examine tensions between community and individual; received several prizes around its publication.
human-animal relationsviolenceecosystem
My South Seas Sleeping Beauty
2001 NovelA tale of memory and longing that maps intersections between Nanyang (Borneo) and East Asia. Translated into English by Valerie Jaffee.
memorylongingborders
Translations
- My South Sea's Sleeping Beauty: A Tale of Memory and Longing. Translated by Valerie Jaffee. Columbia University Press, 2007.
Salon Grandmother
2013 NovelA recent novel that revisits family history and intergenerational memory.
family historyintergenerational memory
When Wild Boars Cross the River
2018 NovelA powerful novel depicting Borneo's society, history, and ethnic relations. Winner of the Taiwan Literature Award (2019) and the 8th Dream of the Red Chamber Award.
regional historyethnic relationsenvironment-human interaction
Translations
- La Traversée des sangliers. Translated by Pierre-Mong Lim. Editions Picquier, 2022.
Eyelids of Morning
2023 NovelRecent publication with limited publicly available details.
Bibliography
- Tiger Ambush (1979)
- Herd of Elephants (1998)
- Monkey Cup (2000)
- My South Seas Sleeping Beauty (2001)
- Salon Grandmother (2013)
- When Wild Boars Cross the River (2018)
- Eyelids of Morning (2023)
Translations of Works
- My South Sea's Sleeping Beauty → translated by Valerie Jaffee (2007)
- Siren Song → translated by Anna Gustafson (2016)
- When Wild Boars Cross the River → translated by Pierre-Mong Lim (French, 2022)
- Herd of Elephants → translated by Carlos Rojas (2025)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Sinophone literaturemagic realism techniquesrevisionary narratives addressing ethnicity and colonial history
- Recurring Motifs
- jungle / rainforestanimals (anthropomorphism)colonialism and settler historymemory and longingviolence and survival
Legacy
Chang Kuei-hsing is a leading Sinophone writer whose Borneo-centered fiction uses magic realism and animal anthropomorphism to probe colonial history, ethnic relations, and environmental issues. He has received awards in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and internationally, and has been translated into English, French and other languages.
Academic Societies
- Sinophone studies academic communities
Quotes
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"[He] grew up in a state of Sarawak amidst a racially mixed Chinese and native communities."
Source: Wikipedia (Chang Kuei-hsing)
Trivia
- Born in North Borneo (Sarawak) into a Hakka Malaysian family.
- Moved to Taiwan in 1976 to study at National Taiwan Normal University.
- Taught English at a Taipei high school for nearly forty years while continuing to write.
- Known for setting many works in the Borneo rainforest and for using animal anthropomorphism and magic-realist elements.