Talking Taiwan: Formosa Files: John Ross and Eryk Michael Smith are on a Mission to Share the History of Taiwan

November 30, 2022 Felicia Lin

John Ross and Eryk Michael Smith are the co-hosts of the Formosa Files podcast. Together John and Eryk tell stories from the history of Taiwan (formerly known as Formosa) in a nonchronological order. They spoke with me about where the idea for the podcast came from, their love of history and where they find inspiration for their podcast episodes. They are on a mission to share the history of Taiwan far and wide. Now in their second season, John and Eryk also shared what we can expect from season three.

[LISTEN to the Complete Episode HERE on APPLE PODCASTS or SPOTIFY]

John Ross is an author and co-founder of publisher Camphor Press, which specializes in books on Taiwan and China in English, while Eryk Michael Smith has worked as a writer and journalist for multiple media outlets in Taiwan, including the island’s only English-language radio station ICRT (FM 100.7). Both Ross and Smith have lived in Taiwan for well over 20 years and call the island home.

This episode of Talking Taiwan has been sponsored by NATWA, the North America Taiwanese Women’s Association.

NATWA was founded in 1988, and its mission is:

1. to evoke a sense of self-esteem and enhance women's dignity,

2. to oppose gender discrimination and promote gender equality,

3. to fully develop women's potential and encourage their participation in public affairs,

4. to contribute to the advancement of human rights and democratic development in Taiwan,

5. to reach out and work with women's organizations worldwide to promote peace for all.

To learn more about NATWA visit their website: www.natwa.com

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

What brought John and Eryk to Taiwan
Eryk’s work at Next Media
How John and Eryk met
Where the idea and inspiration for the Formosa Files podcast came from
The first episode of Formosa Files, The White Formosan
Their approach to creating content for Formosa Files
Why John and Eryk decided to focus on the time period from 1600-2000
How John and Eryk came up with the name of the podcast
Where John and Eryk’s love of history comes from
Why John and Eryk think it’s important to know history
The sources of research that John and Eryk use for Formosa Files
How Eryk discovered the story of the Duck King
Han Cheung’s Taiwan in Time column in the Taipei Times newspaper
Steven Crook’s Highways and Byways column in the Taipei Times newspaper
Why Formosa Files episodes don’t follow chronological order and how John and Eryk decide what topics to cover and when
Episode ideas that John and Eryk have had to scrap
Topics that their listeners are interested in
How Formosa Files has evolved and changed over time
Eryk and John’s favorite episodes of Formosa Files
What we can expect from Formosa Files in the future
What’s being planned for season three of Formosa Files

LISTEN to Episode 213: Formosa Files: John Ross and Eryk Michael Smith are on a Mission to Share the History of Taiwan HERE

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[LISTEN to the Complete Episode HERE on APPLE PODCASTS or SPOTIFY]

Here’s a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode:

Related Links:

LISTEN to Episode 213: Formosa Files: John Ross and Eryk Michael Smith are on a Mission to Share the History of Taiwan HERE