Böcker av Sunflower

Read for Yourself is Taiwanese Australian writer Sunflower's fourth collection of blog articles. Written during June 2010 and June 2019 and published on the "Voices under the Sun" blog (Taiwan), these are her comments on all aspects of Chinese and Western literature and arts. Most of these articles celebrate reading as an art and an essential part of modern life. Others explore the triumphs and challenges faced by those writers, translators, readers, reviewers and literary scholars in both Chinese and English Worlds.Born in 1971 in Taipei, Taiwan and now based in Melbourne, Australia, Sunflower is a bilingual writer, translator, reader, reviewer, journalist, independent scholar and publisher in both Chinese and English languages. Via her website eBook Dynasty, she assists emerging and established English-language authors, literary agents and publishers to translate, publish and promote their titles to the Chinese World. She also helps Chinese-language writers promote their writings to the English World."Voices under the Sun" blog (Taiwan, in Traditional Chinese): http://blog.ylib.com/sunflower/"Voices under the Sun" blog (Australia, in Englih and Traditional Chinese): https://christinesunflower.com/

The Itchy Translator is Taiwanese blogger Sunflower's third collection of literary essays. Written during June 2010 and December 2012, these are her comments on all aspects of Chinese and Western literature and arts. These writings stand the test of time because their subjects do.Compared to her two previous books, The Secret of Time and Blog Therapy, the 40 essays collected in The Itchy Translator are far more ambitious in their scope of research and analytical exploration of contemporary literary and arts trends in both Chinese and English worlds. To start with, there are observations on working as a professional translator and Sunflower's personal "journey" between the Chinese and English languages. Then there are essays exploring various famous and/or controversial books, movies, mucials, authors and even art critics. Finally, Sunflower investigates the cultural significance of various literary and Internet phenomena across the globe, such as the "old-fashioned" art of letter writing, criticism against capital punishment in John Grisham's novels, the obstacles faced by Taiwan's publishing industry, and the continuous rise of digital publishing and reading, just to name a few. In short, The Itchy Translator showcases Sunflower's rich experience as a professional translator and independent scholar. Her interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach to study literature and arts is refreshing and serves as a model to those who are interested in learning the art and craft of being a critic. 

Blog Therapy is Taiwanese blogger Sunflower's second collection of literary essays. Written during February and December 2010, these are her comments on all aspects of Chinese and Western literature and arts. These writings stand the test of time because their subjects do.Compared to Sunflower's first book, The Secret of Time, the writing style in Blog Therapy is more objective, based more on professional research and analysis and less on personal reflection. While the 40 essays collected here continue to highlight Sunflower's passion in generating new connections between seemingly irrelevant ideas, views, techniques and genres, they also include a series of discussions and debates on various unique Internet phenomena, including blog therapy, Web 2.0, Human Flesh Search, and the notorous "grass mud horse" in China, just to name a few. Her interests on the emerging trend of digital publishing and reading are also evident.Throughout Blog Therapy, Sunflower is of the view that one of the most important functions of the Internet is to help promote democractic values. While everyone should have a voice and a channnel through which such voice can be heard, they also have unlmited access not only to other people's views but also to means by which they can freely respond to these views. Looking back at this today, it is amazing how the Internet has evolved since 2010.