This weekend was a whirlwind of culture, literature, thoughtful conversations and fun in Pingtung City as we held an event for Hilda Hoy’s beautiful and delicate book, Mother Tongue.
Hilda was in conversation with the brilliant British translator and interpreter Petula Parris. The event took place at the gorgeous Akauw Bookshop, which is housed in one of the many preserved pre-WWII Japanese military quarters in the centre of the city.
These gorgeous Japanese style buildings, made of carved, ornate wood and surrounded by lush, green gardens are now home to cafés, shops and many cultural exhibitions. As a collective, the houses form what is known as the Shengli New Village Victory Star V.I.P. Zone. It’s a lovely area for exploring, relaxing, reading, writing and feeling inspired.
What better place to gather, eat snacks, drink tea and connect with new friends over literature and stories?
In Mother Tongue, Hilda Hoy explores the manifold capacities of language: to shape one’s sense of self, to bring together, to hold apart.
Raised in Taiwan by her Taiwanese mother and Canadian father, bilingual from the beginning, Hoy explores her experience of growing up with otherness, and traces how English became her dominant tongue. After many years living in Canada and Europe, her Chinese-speaking self packed into a box and sealed shut, the repercussions of her loss of Mandarin are thrown into sharp focus when her mother is diagnosed with dementia, and begins losing the ability to speak.
A tender exploration of grief and reconnection, of belonging and self, Mother Tongue is the story of a journey to locate one’s voice between hybrid places.
You can get your copy here.
