French translator Gwennael Gaffric, French linguist Elizabeth Zeitoun, and music ensemble founder Chen Yi-fen (陳逸芬) from Taiwan were presented with Taiwan-France Cultural Awards at the award ceremony in Paris on Monday night.
The ceremony was held at the Academie des Sciences Morales et Politiques, which co-hosted the awards together with Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture (MOC).
The awards were established in 1996 by the two institutions and are held annually to honor contributors to Taiwan-Europe artistic interactions, according to the MOC.
Photo: CNA
Having researched and translated Taiwanese literary works for over a decade, Gaffric has brought to Europe French translations of works such as “The Man with Compound Eyes” by Taiwanese writer Wu Ming-yi (吳明益) and “Membranes” by Taiwanese writer Chi Ta-wei (紀大偉).
As an assistant professor of Chinese language and literature at Jean Moulin University Lyon 3, Gaffric also organized the “Lyon Spotlight Taiwan” at the university in 2021, a project that has continued into its fourth year in 2024.
He said he felt a duty to promote as “vibrant a place as Taiwan” to more people and show that Taiwan is very “surprising.”
The award will encourage him to continue helping the world see Taiwan and helping Taiwan “make its own voice,” Gaffic said,
Zeitoun has worked at Academia Sinica, Taiwan’s top academic research institution, since 1992, promoting and contributing to the research, recording, collection and preservation of Taiwan’s Austronesian languages, which are spoken by Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples.
She said the award was another honor and touching moment for her after obtaining Taiwanese citizenship in 2017 and felt it would motivate her to keep contributing her expertise to Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples.
Even though Taiwan’s Austronesian languages are disappearing at a rapid rate, “I have not given up hope and will continue efforts to record the languages,” she said.
“This diversity in language and culture is what makes Taiwan such a charming and exciting island,” she said.
Zeitoun has also nurtured Indigenous talent over her three decades in Taiwan. “I learn and I give back,” she said.
A Baroque flutist and founder of the Formosa Baroque ensemble, Chen has promoted European classical music around Taiwan and acted as a bridge for classical music exchanges between Taiwan and Europe.
Currently on tour in Taiwan, Chen could not attend the ceremony, and music critic Wu Wen-yao (武文堯) accepted the award on her behalf.
Bernard Stirn, the perpetual secretary of the Academie des Sciences Morales et Politiques, said in his remarks at the ceremony that Taiwan and France collaborate closely based on their shared values in the humanities and democracy.
Deputy Culture Minister Sue Wang (王時思) echoed the sentiment, saying that the awards have fostered dialogue and interaction between Taiwan and Europe.
“Taiwan’s image has become clearer and more understood,” she said, promising that the MOC will continue to spawn international understanding and support for Taiwan in the cultural realm.
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