Hope Talk
希望講堂
Examining the Lived Experiences of Women from a Novelist's Perspective
我為什麼寫小說？
About the Program
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had a close relationship with literature. I often joke that I was raised by Eileen Chang and Wang Wen-hsing. Their clear-eyed observations of family life have served as a second layer of protection in my life. The first layer of protection was my grandmother, though she was virtually illiterate—when I wrote, she always felt like ‘the distant realm of literature.’ Though far away, she was always there.
When I was in junior high, without even knowing what homosexuality was, I fell in love with a female classmate. At the time, this was strictly forbidden by teachers and parents. Putting that ‘indescribable confusion’ into words was what first drove me to hone my craft.
I am most drawn to Taiwanese writers from the Japanese colonial period—I deeply resonate with their attitude of defying oppression and embracing the world. On the other hand, I grew up in a family closely tied to Taiwan’s democracy movement even before martial law was lifted. My multifaceted background—Fuzhou, Hoklo, and Hakka—has given me ample opportunity to reflect deeply on Taiwanese identity, gender, and various forms of identity. Both non-traditional nations and non-traditional genders serve as the wellsprings of my creative work.”
— Nathalie Chang (CHANG Yi- Hsum)
This lecture invites renowned Taiwanese queer writer Nathalie Chang (CHANG Yi- Hsum) to examine how literature reflects the lived experiences of women. Using literature as the starting point, this program explores topics of memory, family dynamics, and intergenerational relationships. An open conversation and exchange about gender identity, emotions, and life experiences with the community.
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Author Talk (Free Admission, conducted in Mandarin & English)
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM: Women's Story Sharing Workshop (Pre-registration required, conducted in Mandarin only)
**As the discussion may touch on topics such as gender, bodily experiences, and life traumas, we will prioritize maintaining a sense of safety and trust among participants, and primarily admit women into this session.
**This program will be conducted in Mandarin Chinese.
Nathalie CHANG (CHANG Yi- Hsum) was born in Muzha District, Taipei City.
She published a true story in Reader’s Digest and several fictional stories in national newspapers during her adolescence. Not Long in Love, Her-History of Sex, and I’m Leaving are among her most famous novels, with I’m Leaving selected as one of the most representative works of Taiwanese literature.
Although she is considered a queer novelist who advocates for LGBT+ rights, her novels also present a critique of identity politics, whether based on gender or national identity. Her work explores themes such as sexual trauma, language, and the fate of Taiwan with impressive complexity.
She spent her childhood in a family that held great expectations for democracy in Taiwan. This firsthand experience and childhood observations preserved the intimacy of popular political action: how did major events during martial law, such as the Formosa Incident, the Chen Wen-cheng Incident, and the Lin Family Massacre, affect children's development? Chang goes beyond the common notion of "remembering history," emphasizing how the lack of public memory brings cruelty and injustice to various victims.
She won the Golden Tripod Award for Best Column Writing for her work "All the Grownups Who Once Bored Me." She holds a Master's degree in Film Studies from Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris and has written for the Film Appreciation Journal and the National Museum of Taiwan Literature. Two Canadians have greatly influenced her: writer Evelyn Lau and pianist Glenn Gould.
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TAIWANfest Toronto is grateful to be held on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, that is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We acknowledge our privilege to be gathered here, and commit to work with and be respectful to the Indigenous peoples of this land while we engage in meaningful conversations of culture and reconciliation.