I am absolutely delighted to let you know that Tâigael: Stories from Taiwanese & Gaelic is now available to buy!

The book, co-edited by Will Buckingham and I, is published through Wind&Bones Books the independent press we co-direct.

Tâigael is a first-of-its-kind anthology translating between Taiwanese and Gaelic languages, via Mandarin and English.

This is a book in which the languages and cultures of Scotland and Taiwan collide and intertwine.

Scotland and Taiwan are both multilingual nations, and have experienced parallel histories of language suppression and revival. In this book, we foreground the work of contemporary writers in both Tâi-gí and Gaelic, and through collaborative translation, explore these cross-currents.

In Naomi Sím’s “Emerald Orchid Love Letter”, a goddess of saliva disappears, just as the narrator finds a strange tumour growing in her mouth.

Meanwhile, in “The Empty Chair” by Elissa Hunter-Dorans, the Free Church gatecrashes a Hogmanay party in Inverness.

Kiú-kiong’s “4:44:44” is a tale about prophecy and madness in the streets of Taipei, and the strategies we might employ to avoid losing our minds.

Finally, in Lisa MacDonald’s “Freedom”, a woman, heading home from her big day in court, tussles with a sheep trapped in the roadside brambles.

Each of these four stories by women writers from Taiwan and Scotland is published in five versions: Gaelic, English, Mandarin (Traditional), and Taiwanese (in both pe̍h-ōe-jī Romanisation, and 漢字 characters).

You can listen to the stories here.

The book is available in handsome paperback, and in an equally fine-looking EPUB edition. Head to Wind&Bones Books bookshop to get your copy. We deliver across the UK, Taiwan and beyond!

The book is also available via Waterstones, Blackwell’s, Amazon and many others.