As Taiwanese, we grew up with a lot of “ghosts” (鬼) ft. Kevin Chen

Have you heard of the book Ghost Town鬼地方, written by Taiwanese writer Kevin Chen (陳思宏)？If you haven't, put this book and this writer on your radar. Kevin Chen's Ghost Town was included in the New York Times list of “33 Works of Fiction and Poetry Coming This Fall” in 2022, and has won many other international awards as well. Ghost Town first came out in 2019, and has since been translated to 12 languages, including English, German, French, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Greek, and more to come. His many other works are also well-loved by readers in Taiwan and worldwide. Today, we're doing a personal dive into the world of Kevin Chen. Kevin and I share a lot in common: We both graduated from the English Department of Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan, both are logophiles (lover of words), both have a lot to say about the word 鬼 "Ghost" in a Taiwanese context, and we both struggle to keep houseplants alive. Kevin's words are like keys, leading his readers to the fantastical world he created. Before entering, maybe, remember to knock on the door.  Stay tuned for part 2 of our interview coming up next Monday! Head to @rtienglish on Instagram for more video highlights!