Taipei: The English translation of 'Banana King Ngoo Tsin-sui', a historical novel by Taiwanese author Lee Wang-tai, has won the bronze prize in the historical fiction category at the Foreword Reviews magazine Indies Book of the Year Awards 2024. Lee's book, published in English by Shadelandhouse Modern Press, recounts the true story of Ngoo Tsin-sui, who "massively expanded Taiwan's banana trade during dark days of martial law," according to Kirkus Reviews.

According to Focus Taiwan, the annual awards celebrate outstanding books published by small, independent, and university presses. "Foreword's dedicated editors carefully selected approximately 12 finalists per genre, which were then presented to individual librarians and booksellers entrusted with the challenging task of determining the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Honorable Mention winners," the magazine said.

Lee's depiction of Tsin-sui as an innovator who put cash in the hands of small farmers is inspiring, and his story offers life lessons as well as warnings about authoritarian government. After receiving the award, Lee expressed his gratitude, stating, "I feel lucky to present life stories from this island and show the character of its people." He added, "I want to write Taiwan well, write Taiwanese people well, so that foreigners can truly understand the spirit of this land."

Translator Timothy Smith shared his motivation, citing the book's portrayal of Taiwan's political journey through the authoritarian Kuomintang (KMT) period. He noted that the book reminded him of Taiwanese friends whose families experienced cultural and linguistic suppression. To preserve the novel's linguistic diversity when translating into natural-sounding English, Smith retained terms in the Taiwanese (Hokkien), Hakka, and Japanese languages.

Alongside 'Banana King Ngoo Tsin-sui' in the historical fiction category, Donna Coffey Little's 'Wofford's Blood' won gold, while David Ciminello's 'The Queen of Steeplechase Park' won silver.