Profile of Mr. Hwang Chun-ming

Mr Hwang Chun-ming’s works are key representations of Taiwanese Literature. They embrace an intense feeling of care for his hometown while expressing an engagement with the transformations that Taiwan has been undergoing as a modern society.

The merit of his works has been amply demonstrated by the number of prestigious honours and awards that they have received.

Mr Hwang has twice visited UIC, in 2009 and 2014, where he has given lectures respectively on “Literature and the Growth of a Delinquent Juvenile” and on “What Life Teaches Us.” The lectures contemplated life and wisdom from a perspective rooted in the here and now, thereby, enlightening the faculty and students.

A Citation for Honorary Fellow Mr. Hwang Chun-ming

Mr. Hwang Chun-ming is a renowned Taiwanese writer of “homeland literature” (“xiangtu wenxue”). Born in Luo-dung, Ilan County, he graduated from the Pingtung Normal School and received an Honorary Doctorate of Literature from Fo Guang University. At the same time when he was making a career as a fiction writer, Mr. Hwang also worked as a primary school teacher, journalist, advertising and marketing executive, screenwriter as well as a director of documentaries. In recent years, he has also been dedicated to community empowerment and has composed and directed children’s drama and Taiwanese Opera. Mr. Hwang has been the Art Director of Lan-Yang Taiwanese Opera Company. He has also been selected as a writer in residence at the Taipei University of the Arts, Taiwan University of Arts, Dong Hwa University, Cheng Kung University, Central University and Ilan University. In 2009, Mr. Hwang was invited to be the writer in residence at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Mr. Hwang’s fiction finds its inspiration in his homeland. His works are key representations of Taiwanese Literature. They embrace an intense feeling of care for his hometown while expressing an engagement with the transformations that Taiwan has been undergoing as a modern society. Mr. Hwang is noted for his use of Chinese with vivid local colours and for his expression of a vehement cultural awareness. His works portray the sufferings of the lower class while rendering the circumstance of the underprivileged individual with dignity and humanity. His literary works, offering a panorama of the society, have touched the hearts of his readers in Taiwan and, by way of translation, in many parts of the world.

The merit of his works has been amply demonstrated by the number of prestigious honours and awards that they have received. These awards include the Taiwan Literature Award, the Wu San-Lien Literature Award, the National Award for the Arts, the National Cultural Award, the Kamalan Award, the Publication Gold Tripod Award, the Literary Award of the China Times, the Literary and Art Work Medal of the Chinese Writers & Artists Association, and the Korean Yi Pyŏng-ju Literary Award.

Mr. Hwang returned to his homeland in the 1990s and has since used his many skills as a storyteller and writer to be a positive influence on young people. At present, Mr. Hwang is the Director of the Huang Ta-Yu Kid’s Troupe, the publisher of the “9-Bend-18-Curve” Bimonthly Literary Magazine, the Director of the “9-Bend-18-Curve” Drama Group as well as the host of the Redbrick House.

Mr. Hwang has twice visited UIC, in 2009 and 2014, where he has given lectures respectively on “Literature and the Growth of a Delinquent Juvenile” and on “What Life Teaches Us.” Mr. Hwang infused the lectures with a passion for literature and life while assuring students that perseverance and a positive mentality are important attributes in realizing a sincere and engaged philosophy of life. The lectures contemplated life and wisdom from a perspective rooted in the here and now, thereby, enlightening the faculty and students.

Mr. Chairman, in recognition of Mr. Hwang Chun-ming’s outstanding accomplishments in the Chinese literary world and his immense contribution to the cultural education of his homeland as well as in appreciation of his support of this College, it is my privilege to present him to you for the award of an Honorary Fellowship.