Book launch: 'Taiwan Undaunted'
Key information
- Date
- Time
-
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
- Venue
- SOAS Main Building
- Room
- KLT
- Event type
- Launch
About this event
The Centre of Taiwan Studies is delighted to welcome back MA Taiwan Studies alumnus Neal E. Robbins to SOAS for a talk on his new book, Taiwan Undaunted: In Search of the Nation That Cannot Call Itself a Nation.
Taiwan Undaunted explores the emergence of Taiwanese nationhood and identity, from colonial and dynastic times to its democratic awakening. Drawing on over 80 in-depth interviews conducted across the island as part of an eponymous documentary film, the author blends personal anecdotes and sharp analysis to capture how ordinary Taiwanese see themselves – their aspirations, dreams, hopes, and fears.
At the centre of this account lie the tensions between Taiwan's indigenous heritage, immigrant roots and the geopolitical complexities across the strait. With China's territorial claims intensifying, the book reflects on the resilience of Taiwan's democracy and the uncertain future that lies ahead.
About the speaker
Neal E. Robbins earned a degree in Chinese at Washington University in St Louis, studied in Taiwan (1976–78), and has published Taiwanese short stories with Yale University Press. After journalism studies at Columbia University (1979), he reported from Hong Kong, New Delhi, and Washington. He taught at Roosevelt University and National Taiwan University, contributing to The Washington Post, National Public Radio, and BBC. Europe correspondent for China Times, he later completed Taiwan Studies at SOAS and directed the 2024 documentary Taiwan Undaunted: in search of the nation that cannot call itself a nation and the eponymous 2026 book.
Image credit: Tai Jyun Chang via Unsplash
