Wang-ling Shieh (b.1980) is a Taiwanese writer holding a bachelor’s degree in politics and law and a master’s degree in Taiwanese literature. He has been a journalist, an editor, the curator of “Cloud Gate Lecture” at Cloud Gate Theatre, and a lecturer in the Department of Art and Design at Yuanze University. Mr. Shieh has worked with directors, choreographers, musicians, and paper-cut artists, and has acted as a consultant to assist them in their creative works. Moreover, he often writes for major Taiwanese magazines and newspapers. His works of poetry and creative non-fiction are full of poetic potency and theatrical tension, aiming to depict characters that demonstrate the complexities of human nature.

As a freelance writer, Mr. Shieh has received several literary awards and much critical acclaim in the world of Taiwanese literature. In 2021, his debut novel Zhuan Shan (Circumambulating the Mountain, 2008) was selected among “Taiwanese writers after 1970: The 20 most important non-fictions in Taiwanese literature of the past 20 years”. Zhuan Shan earned a spot not only in literary and publishing circles but also on the best-seller lists of all major bookstores in Taiwan and China, sparking a cultural wave of “Wanderer”. In 2011, Zhuan Shan was adapted into a film of the same name and released in China. Mr. Shieh’s second novel, Zou He (Walking along the Ganges River—from the mouth to its head, 2018), received the Golden Book Award for Prose in the Book Category (Biennial) as well as the Taiwan Literature Award, which is the most prestigious literary award in Taiwan.

While at Cove Park, Mr. Shieh intends to focus on writing the novel about his family, and of his recent adventures in the Himalayas.

This residency is made possible with support from the Ministry of Culture Taiwan.