On the afternoon of Sunday, April 28th, at 2 p.m., the first meeting and lecture of the graphic novel “Children from Clear Water” hosted by the Taiwan Academy of Classics at Room 203 of the Overseas Compatriot Education Center in Houston took place. The event invited the author You Peiyun, illustrator Zhou Jianxin, and was attended by Zhang Jiahua, the head of the Taiwan Academy, Director Chen Yiru, Director Wang Yingrong of the Overseas Compatriot Education Center, Deputy Director Huang Yili, Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee members Chen Meifen, Chen Jianbin, Liu Xiumei, Overseas Chinese Affairs Advisory Committee member Song Mingli, and FASCA Houston Youth Cultural Ambassadors mentors Qiu Peiguan, Dai Peiqing, students, and others.
Zhang Jiahua delivered a speech introducing “Children from Clear Water”, which won the Emile Asia Literature Award in France, surpassing master Hayao Miyazaki. This achievement brings pride to Taiwan, as the work portrays the entire history of Taiwan through the story of Mr. Cai Kunlin, representing Taiwan’s democratic position.
“Children from Clear Water” is the first graphic novel biography of political prisoners in Taiwan. The fourth volume was released in December 2021, spanning 90 years of Mr. Cai Kunlin’s life to present a condensed version of modern Taiwanese history through storytelling.
You Peiyun shared that she met Mr. Cai Kunlin at an event for political prisoners. Despite his tumultuous life, he retained a childlike innocence and warmth, sparking her curiosity to understand his life experiences. She then developed the idea for this novel. Through a video, she introduced Mr. Cai Kunlin, born in 1930 in Taichung, Clear Water during the Japanese occupation, recruited into the military at 15, later sentenced for participating in a study group, becoming one of the first political prisoners sent to Green Island, involved in comics and publishing upon release, founding the well-known children’s magazine “Prince,” sponsoring the Taitung Red Maple Little League, establishing an advertising company until retirement. He devoted his life to promoting youth human rights education and transitional justice until his passing on September 3, 2023.
You Peiyun explained that the scriptwriting strategy involved segmenting events based on time periods, selecting significant historical events and personal life intersections. Additionally, the novel incorporates Cai Kunlin’s love for singing, interpreting his personality and the essence of the times through songs, using multiple languages (Taiwanese, Japanese, Mandarin) to witness Taiwan’s historical transformations due to political factors.
Zhou Jianxin shared his approach in illustrating the novel by dividing it into four volumes based on different time periods, representing Taiwan’s history and style changes as follows: 1935-1950 – childhood in the Japanese occupation era depicted in pencil monochrome pink, 1950-1960 – imprisonment on Green Island portrayed in printmaking scratch drawing in blue and gray, reflecting hardship, 1960-1969 – the career-building phase contributing to Taiwan’s comics industry, 1970-2021 – collages of photos showcasing the intense democratic struggles in Taiwan, enriched with various democratic activities.
During the event, the audience actively posed questions. You Peiyun and Zhou Jianxin responded to inquiries about the cover design selection process and other topics, presenting winners with illustrated books that they immediately delved into. Lastly, Chen Yiru informed everyone that in addition to the first event that day, there would be three more lectures until May 4 in Texas, held at the Austin Public Library – Central Library, Asia Society Texas Center, and BIPOC Book Fest, welcoming attendees to share the joy from Taiwan with their family and friends.