Newman Prize for Chinese Literature
1 appearances
-
Edition 4 (2015) Winner
Chu T'ien-wen
チュウ・ティエンウェン
Chu Tien-wen
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1956-08-24 （Taipei, Taiwan）
- Nationality
- Taiwan
- Languages
- Chinese (Mandarin)
Career
- Occupations
- fiction writer, screenwriter, editor
- Active Years
- 1972-2025
- Influenced By
- Hu Lancheng, Eileen Chang
- Influenced
- Hou Hsiao-hsien (director; frequent collaborator)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamkang University | Faculty (unspecified) | — | Bachelor of Arts | — | Taiwan |
Tamkang University
Faculty (unspecified)
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Country:
Taiwan
Involved in journal editing and small-publisher activities while attending
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Newman Prize for Chinese Literature | Fin-de-Siècle Splendour | — | University of Oklahoma (Newman Prize) | Won |
| 1983 | Golden Horse Awards (Best Adapted Screenplay) | Growing Up | Best Adapted Screenplay | Golden Horse Awards | Won |
| 1985 | Golden Horse Awards (Best Original Screenplay) | The Time to Live and the Time to Die | Best Original Screenplay | Golden Horse Awards | Won |
| 1995 | Golden Horse Awards (Best Adapted Screenplay) | Good Men, Good Women | Best Adapted Screenplay | Golden Horse Awards | Won |
| 2015 | Golden Horse Awards (Best Adapted Screenplay — Nomination) | The Assassin | Best Adapted Screenplay | Golden Horse Awards | Nominated |
| — | Venice International Film Festival (Best Screenplay) | — | — | Venice International Film Festival | Won |
| — | Tokyo International Film Festival (Best Screenplay) | — | — | Tokyo International Film Festival | Won |
Newman Prize for Chinese Literature
2015
Work:
Fin-de-Siècle Splendour
Organization:
University of Oklahoma (Newman Prize)
Result:
Won
Golden Horse Awards (Best Adapted Screenplay)
1983
Work:
Growing Up
Category:
Best Adapted Screenplay
Organization:
Golden Horse Awards
Result:
Won
Golden Horse Awards (Best Original Screenplay)
1985
Work:
The Time to Live and the Time to Die
Category:
Best Original Screenplay
Organization:
Golden Horse Awards
Result:
Won
Golden Horse Awards (Best Adapted Screenplay)
1995
Work:
Good Men, Good Women
Category:
Best Adapted Screenplay
Organization:
Golden Horse Awards
Result:
Won
Golden Horse Awards (Best Adapted Screenplay — Nomination)
2015
Work:
The Assassin
Category:
Best Adapted Screenplay
Organization:
Golden Horse Awards
Result:
Nominated
Venice International Film Festival (Best Screenplay)
Organization:
Venice International Film Festival
Result:
Won
Tokyo International Film Festival (Best Screenplay)
Organization:
Tokyo International Film Festival
Result:
Won
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Fin-de-Siècle Splendour
1990 novel 320 pagesA novel that weaves urban memory, family and personal history to portray the complex emotions and cultural ruptures of the fin de siècle.
memoryfamilyurban lifehistory
Translations
- Fin-de-Siècle Splendour (English translation)
Notes of a Desolate Man
1994 novel 280 pagesThrough fragmented episodes and interior monologue of a solitary urban figure, the work vividly depicts the disjunction between self and society.
lonelinessidentityurban life
Translations
- Notes of a Desolate Man (English translation)
Witch's Brew
2008 short fiction / novel 220 pagesA collection exploring the intersection of contemporary society and traditional narratives through themes of folklore and the magical power of language.
folklorelanguagemagical realism
Translations
- Witch's Brew (English translation)
Bibliography
- The Long Hot Summer / A City of Hot Summer
- Master Chai
- Boddhisattva Incarnate
- Fin-de-Siècle Splendour
- Notes of a Desolate Man
- Witch's Brew
- We All Change into Somebody Else
Adaptations
- A City of Sadness (screenplay contributor)
- The Assassin (screenplay)
- Millennium Mambo (screenplay)
Translations of Works
- Fin-de-Siècle Splendour — English translation by Eva Hung
- Notes of a Desolate Man — English translation by Howard Goldblatt & Sylvia Li-chun Lin
- Witch's Brew — English translation
- The Long Hot Summer / A City of Hot Summer — English translations
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- lyrical, precise descriptionfragmentary and retrospective narrationcinematic manipulation of time
- Recurring Motifs
- layers of memory and the pastfamily historyurban landscapes
Legacy
A writer and screenwriter who has had major influence on contemporary Taiwanese literature and New Taiwan Cinema. Winner of the 2015 Newman Prize for Chinese Literature — the first female recipient. Longstanding collaborator with Hou Hsiao-hsien, bridging literature and film.
In Popular Culture
- Widely recognized in Taiwanese cinema as a principal screenwriter for Hou Hsiao-hsien's films
- Gained international readership and audiences through translations and film adaptations
Trivia
- Born into a prominent literary family: father Chu Hsi-ning and younger sister Chu Tien-hsin are also writers.
- Published her first novel in 1972.
- Wrote screenplays for many films by director Hou Hsiao-hsien.
- Won the Newman Prize for Chinese Literature in 2015, becoming the prize's first female winner.