Opt Indie Book Club: June 2026
The French Quarter, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SA
Monday 1st June 2026
We’re excited to welcome you to the June Opt Indie Book Club, as we continue our second year of exploring exceptional books in translation.
To mark its longlisting for this year’s International Booker Prize, our June pick is Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ - a richly layered, genre-defying novel that has already received major international acclaim. The winner of the prize will be announced just days before we meet, making this the perfect moment to dive into one of the most talked-about translated books of the year.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Disguised as a translation of a rediscovered Japanese text, Taiwan Travelogue unfolds as a bittersweet love story between two women, set against the backdrop of Japanese-occupied Taiwan in 1938. When novelist Aoyama Chizuko travels from Japan to Taiwan, her interpreter guides her through the island’s culture, language, and extraordinary cuisine.
What begins as a journey of appetite and discovery gradually reveals deeper questions of power, identity, and colonial history. Playful and inventive in form, the novel blends metafiction, romance, and food writing into a narrative that is as intellectually sharp as it is sensuous and immersive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yáng Shuāng-zǐ is a Taiwanese writer whose work spans fiction, essays, manga, video game scripts, and literary criticism. Her writing has been translated into multiple languages, and Taiwan Travelogue has received widespread international recognition, including the National Book Award for Translated Literature.
ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR
Lin King is a writer and translator whose work has appeared in publications including Boston Review, Joyland, Asymptote, and Columbia Journal. Their translation brings Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s distinctive voice and layered narrative playfulness vividly into English.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
And Other Stories is an independent publisher dedicated to bold, contemporary writing from around the world, with a strong focus on translation. Now based in Sheffield, the press is driven by a community of readers, writers, translators, and subscribers, supporting adventurous literature that challenges and expands the boundaries of English-language publishing.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us in person for a lively discussion of Taiwan Travelogue, where we’ll explore its inventive structure, its exploration of translation and colonialism, and its unforgettable evocation of food, desire, and place.
If you’d like to read ahead, select ‘Book & Ticket’ when booking to have a copy posted out in advance.
Where: THE FRENCH QUARTER, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SA
When: MONDAY 1st JUNE, 7-9pm
Each event ticket includes a copy of the book. All books will be posted in advance to give you ample time to read before we meet.
Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your place before we sell out.
To mark its longlisting for this year’s International Booker Prize, our June pick is Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ - a richly layered, genre-defying novel that has already received major international acclaim. The winner of the prize will be announced just days before we meet, making this the perfect moment to dive into one of the most talked-about translated books of the year.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Disguised as a translation of a rediscovered Japanese text, Taiwan Travelogue unfolds as a bittersweet love story between two women, set against the backdrop of Japanese-occupied Taiwan in 1938. When novelist Aoyama Chizuko travels from Japan to Taiwan, her interpreter guides her through the island’s culture, language, and extraordinary cuisine.
What begins as a journey of appetite and discovery gradually reveals deeper questions of power, identity, and colonial history. Playful and inventive in form, the novel blends metafiction, romance, and food writing into a narrative that is as intellectually sharp as it is sensuous and immersive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yáng Shuāng-zǐ is a Taiwanese writer whose work spans fiction, essays, manga, video game scripts, and literary criticism. Her writing has been translated into multiple languages, and Taiwan Travelogue has received widespread international recognition, including the National Book Award for Translated Literature.
ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR
Lin King is a writer and translator whose work has appeared in publications including Boston Review, Joyland, Asymptote, and Columbia Journal. Their translation brings Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s distinctive voice and layered narrative playfulness vividly into English.
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
And Other Stories is an independent publisher dedicated to bold, contemporary writing from around the world, with a strong focus on translation. Now based in Sheffield, the press is driven by a community of readers, writers, translators, and subscribers, supporting adventurous literature that challenges and expands the boundaries of English-language publishing.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Join us in person for a lively discussion of Taiwan Travelogue, where we’ll explore its inventive structure, its exploration of translation and colonialism, and its unforgettable evocation of food, desire, and place.
If you’d like to read ahead, select ‘Book & Ticket’ when booking to have a copy posted out in advance.
Where: THE FRENCH QUARTER, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SA
When: MONDAY 1st JUNE, 7-9pm
Each event ticket includes a copy of the book. All books will be posted in advance to give you ample time to read before we meet.
Space is limited, so be sure to reserve your place before we sell out.
