Mother Tongue Manifesto
Translating between Taiwanese Tâi-gí and Scottish Gaelic
Info
- Project date: 2024-2025
- Project location: Scotland and Taiwan
- Project funders: Scottish Connections Fund
Overview
We are based between Scotland and Taiwan, and we have been struck by the parallels between the experiences of language suppression and revival in both countries. Both Gaelic and Tâi-gí (along with other languages such as Scots, Hakka, and indigenous Taiwanese languages) have been historically marginalised. With this project, we want to highlight the linguistic richness of both Scotland and Taiwan, working with writers in both countries to produce new works.
We’re particularly excited to be working to translate not just from but also into Tâi-gí and Gaelic. We are not sure — correct us if we are wrong! — but this may be the first-ever time in history that literary works have been translated between these two languages.
We have set up a project website at taigael.com, where you can meet our fabulous writers: in Taiwan, Naomi Sím and Kiú-kiong, and in Scotland, Lisa MacDonald and Elissa Hunter-Dorans.
Project Outcomes
- Project website with published stories in four languages (see link below)
- Events and activities in both Scotland and Taiwan
- A paperback collection of new stories, in four languages.
Project Links
Project website: taigael.com
