National Museum of Taiwanese Literature Holds Hakka Creative Writing Lecture in Hsinchu

The National Museum of Taiwan Literature held the "2026 Taiwan Literature Award Creation Skills Lecture Series" in Hsinchu today (the 13th), specially inviting three winners of the Hakka Literature Award to share their creative journeys through a panel discussion. As an important settlement for Hakka culture, Hsinchu has long nurtured numerous literary works using Hakka as their medium. This lecture not only serves as recognition of the award-winning writers but also encourages the continued voice of Hakka literature in contemporary society, demonstrating a gradually deepening consensus between the public and private sectors on preserving multilingualism and diverse cultures.

The first speaker focused on campus observations, explaining how he captures subtle emotions from daily classroom life, dormitories, and teacher-student interactions, and subsequently presents them through Hakka narratives. The campus itself is a microcosm of youth development, where language shifting and identity exploration are frequently intertwined. The speaker noted that Hakka is often regarded as a "dialect" rather than a formal language within academic environments; by incorporating these overlooked contexts into writing, not only does Hakka acquire literary value, but readers are also prompted to re-examine the relationship between language and identity. Such writing techniques have been gradually emerging in recent Hakka fiction, becoming a rising narrative trend.

The second speaker focused on the theme of "searching for maternal memory." Using her personal experience of root-seeking as a clue, she explored how her mother's accent, family legends, and hometown scenery left traces in her mind. She mentioned that due to frequent historical migrations among the Hakka ethnic group, the oral traditions of many families have been fractured, making writing a way to bridge this gap. Through words, she reconstructed her mother's phrases, gestures, and scenes of past agricultural work, allowing readers to feel as though they were transported back to that bygone era. This type of creation centered on memory is not merely an expression of personal emotion, but also bears the mission of preserving ethnic history.

The third speaker approached the topic from the perspective of fiction techniques, explaining the distinct characteristics of Hakka novels in terms of structure, rhythm, and character development. The phonology and linguistic feel of Hakka differ from Mandarin, requiring writers to balance the natural fluency of spoken language with the narrative integrity of written text. The speaker shared how she utilized the rhythm of dialogue and narrative whitespace during the manuscript revision process, enabling readers to experience the rhythmic beauty of Hakka while reading. She also pointed out that the increasing acceptance of Hakka works by publishers and literary awards in recent years has encouraged more young writers to create in Hakka, forming a burgeoning literary ecosystem.

This lecture coincides with the tenth consecutive year that the Taiwan Literature Award has promoted the theme of "multilingualism." Alongside Hakka, works in Indigenous languages and Taiwanese Hokkien have received equal attention, indicating that Taiwanese literature is moving toward linguistic equality and cultural inclusion. The Hsinchu City Government and local cultural groups simultaneously organized Hakka music, drama, and handicraft markets, creating cross-disciplinary interactions among literature, performance, and daily life. This allows participants to experience the close connection between language and social memory as they hear, speak, and write in Hakka.

Overall, the insights shared by the three award winners not only provided concrete creative methods, but also highlighted the vital role of Hakka literature in preserving ethnic memory and enriching the landscape of Taiwanese literature. Through the promotion of official platforms and the participation of local communities, Hakka creation is moving from the margins to the mainstream. With continued support in resources and platforms moving forward, it holds the potential to showcase a unique voice and aesthetic on the international literary stage.