Lee Wan-tang (黎萬棠), president of the Hakka Association of Taiwan in
Spain, and Consuelo Marco Martínez, professor of Complutense University of
Madrid (UCM, Universidad Complutense De Madrid), are Spanish translators of the novel “The
Spring of Lan Caixia (藍彩霞的春天)” by respected Hakka
author Li Qiao (李喬). The couple attended
a book-signing session for the Hakka novel at the 2019 Madrid Book Fair (Feria del Libro de
Madrid) on June 12.
The life story of protagonist Lan Caixia is the main theme of the novel.
Li’s vivid depiction brings the past alive in the mind of readers. To accurately
translate the essence of the story, President Lee has read the novel for over
two hundred times. He hopes that this classic Taiwanese Hakka novel can impress
readers from the Spanish-speaking world.
“The Spring of Lan Caixia,” which is published under the Spanish title
of “La Primavera de Lan Caixia,” has hit the shelves of Madrid’s bookstores and
online stores since August 2018. The novel sparked local interest due to its
compelling story and the cultural difference between West and East, and it is
expected to bring more international attention to Hakka literature from Asia.
After the publication of
the novel last year, publishing house Cuadernos del Laberinto has co-organized book
launches and book-signing sessions with the Hakka Association of Taiwan in
Spain, the UCM Department of Linguistics and Oriental Studies, and the UCM
Department of Classical Philology.
A book launch for Li’s seminal novel was held on March 26 at the Complutense University of Madrid. During the book launch, Taiwan’s Hakka culture was introduced to the audiences after a video on the author was shown. Translator Lee explained the meaning of the word “Hakka” and gave a brief overview of how this book was published. Professor Martínez shared her opinion and interpretations of the novel, and concluded with a strong recommendation for the first Taiwanese Hakka literary work to be translated by Spanish writers working in Europe. Readers’ active participation has encouraged them continuing to promote the novel in other Spanish-speaking countries.