Spring Garden by TOMOKA SHIBASAKI

Winner of the Akutagawa Prize
 
A sharp, photo-realistic novella of memory and thwarted hope set in modern-day Tokyo—an “unflinching…powerful” showcase of the best in contemporary Japanese literature (Shelf Awareness)

Divorced and cut off from his family, Taro lives alone in one of the few occupied apartments in his block, a block that is to be torn down as soon as the remaining tenants leave. Since the death of his father, Taro keeps to himself, but is soon drawn into an unusual relationship with the woman upstairs, Nishi, as she passes on the strange tale of the sky-blue house next door.

First discovered by Nishi in the little-known photo-book Spring Garden, the sky-blue house soon becomes a focus for both Nishi and Taro: of what is lost, of what has been destroyed, and of what hope may yet lie in the future for both of them, if only they can seize it.

Series Overview: A series of contemporary Japanese novellas, showcasing the best contemporary Japanese writing, and selected by talented editors of Japanese literature

Tomoka Shibasaki was born in 1973 in Osaka and began writing fiction while still in high school. After graduating from university, she took an office job but continued writing, and was shortlisted for the Bungei Prize in 1998. Her first book, A Day on the Planet, was turned into a hit movie, and Spring Garden won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 2014.

Author Residence: Japan

Author Hometown: Tokyo

9781782272700
Paperback , Trade
English, Translated from: Japanese
General Trade
Nov 07, 2017