Nails and Eyes by Kaori fujino

Tense, subtly disturbing Japanese literary horror perfect for fans of Tender is the Flesh and The Vegetarian

An unforgettably creepy child narrator weaves uncanny tales about her new stepmother in this feminist horror novella + short story collection that introduces a unique new voice in Japanese literature

A young girl addresses her stepmother, who has moved in shortly after her mother’s death in unusual circumstances. The girl shows strangely detailed knowledge of the older woman’s life, and as her stepmother settles into the house, the girl’s obsession sharpens to an ever finer point.

With masterful narrative control, Nails and Eyes—appearing in English for the first time—builds to a conclusion of uncanny power.

Story Locale: Japan

Series Overview: A stunning series of Japanese Novellas from Pushkin Press: short, cutting-edge works from the new luminaries of Japanese literature

Kaori Fujino was born in 1980 in Kyoto and graduated from Doshisha University. Best known as the author of short stories and novellas, she won The Bungeikai Newcomer Award in 2006 for GREEDY BIRD (Iyashii tori) and the 149th Akutagawa Prize for Nails and Eyes (Tsume to me ) in 2013. In 2017 Japan Foundation sponsored Fujino’s residency in the International Writing Program of the University of Iowa. 

Kendall Heitzman is an assistant professor of Japanese literature and culture at the University of Iowa. He is the author of a number of articles on contemporary Japanese literature and has translated into English stories and essays by a number of prominent contemporary Japanese writers, including Tomoka Shibasaki and Nori Nakagami.

Author Residence: Kyoto, Japan

Author Hometown: Kyoto, Japan