The award ceremony for the 14th Taichung Literature Award took place on the 6th at Taichung City Hall. This year’s competition received an impressive 2,452 submissions, including 428 entries from creators in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Shanghai, the United States, France, Thailand, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and beyond. Covering nine categories—novels, essays, modern poetry, classical poetry, Hakka poetry, Taiwanese poetry, fairy tales, reportage literature, and high school prose—the award reached a record high in both submission volume and thematic diversity, showcasing Taichung’s profound and expanding literary prowess.

For the first time, writers Chen Pai-Ching and Wu Hsiao-Le served as co-hosts. Drawing from their own creative backgrounds, they facilitated in-depth conversations with award recipients about their writing journeys, fostering a lively and humorous atmosphere. They cleverly likened the nine literary categories to a multi-course banquet: some like slow-simmered soup with rich layers, others like delicate steamed cuisine offering warmth and purity, and still others like refreshing appetizers—bright, lively, and full of subtle aftertastes. This metaphor vividly captured the nuanced character of Taichung’s literary landscape. The ceremony’s warm setting, paired with a playful caricature-style photo wall, delighted the winners, many of whom stopped to sign their names as keepsakes.

Taichung Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin remarked that Taichung is a city with a proud cultural heritage—from the historic Li She Poetry Society (櫟社) during the Japanese era to Taichung First Senior High School, known as a cradle of writers. This vibrant tradition embodies the spirit and cohesion of Taichung’s cultural identity. This year’s theme, “Slow Simmering Words: Writing Life with Care,” symbolizes how, even in the fast-paced age of AI, literature continues to articulate the city’s stories. It creates connection, resonance, and a shared sense of belonging, preserving cherished traditions while highlighting literature's enduring value in a modern city.

Legislative Yuan Vice President Chiang Chi-chen noted that literature has the power to change the world without making noise; it does not need to roar, yet it preserves a city’s memories through simple words. Reflecting on the winning works, he emphasized the enduring brilliance of text: as long as someone writes, there will be someone who reads, and literature will continue to exert its influence. In an era of rapid AI-driven change, literary works not only open new perspectives but also reveal the irreplaceable depth of lived experience and keen observation embodied by their creators.

This year’s jury highlighted a marked improvement in narrative pacing, linguistic control, and thematic depth, with young creators particularly demonstrating sharp insight and a mature sense of language. Finalists depicted hometowns, personal growth, and self-exploration with delicate detail, reaffirming the Taichung Literature Award as a vital stage for emerging voices. The fiction, essay, and reportage categories displayed strong craftsmanship in detail and scene-building; the poetry categories showcased linguistic tension and stylistic diversity; and the fairy-tale category merged imagination with meaningful reflections on everyday life—earning unanimous praise from the judges.