- Akiko Itoyama
Akiko Itoyama (絲山秋子, born in
Setagaya, Tokyo in November 22, 1966, now living inTakasaki, Gunma ) is a Japanese novelist, who won the 134thAkutagawa Prize .Biography
After graduation from Shinjuku High School and [http://www.waseda.jp/seikei/index-e.html the Faculty of Political Science and Economics] ,
Waseda University , she worked as a saleswoman for a major household equipment company and, as is common in Japanese corporate life, was transferred several times to various localities. Treatment for cyclic psychosis led to her writing.Her works, which focus on human relations, have been nominated for and received literary awards. She was recipient of the 96th "Bungakukai New Face Award" and a nominee for the 129th Akutagawa Prize by her first volume "It's only talk" in 2003. After three consecutive nominations, she finally won the
Akutagawa Prize January 2006.She has been praised for her ability to describe provincial scenery and represent regional accents and dialects, reflecting the characters' image, even though she was brought up in Tokyo. She explains that she learned them through repeated company transfers all over Japan.
A translation of her "Waiting in the Offing" (Oki de Matsu) appears in the March 2007 (online) edition of Words Without Borders.
Works
* イッツ・オンリー・トーク "It's only talk", won the 96th Bungakukai New Face Award, nominated for the 129th Akutagawa Prize. A film with the same title was created based on this novel. ISBN 4-16-322630-3
* 海の仙人 "Umi no Sennin" (Sea Hermit), nominated for the 130th Akutagawa Prize, also won the Minister of Education and Science's Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists, in book form. ISBN 4-10-466901-6
* 袋小路の男 "Fukurokouji no Otoko" (Man in the dead-end street), won the 30thKawabata Yasunari Prize . ISBN 4-06-212618-4
* 勤労感謝の日 "Kinrou Kansha no Hi" (Labor Thanksgiving Day), nominated for the 131th Akutagawa Prize, included in the book 沖で待つ.
* 逃亡くそたわけ "Toubou Kusotawake" (Besotted fool runs away), nominated for the 133thNaoki Prize and New Face Award of the 27thNoma Prize for Literature. ISBN 4-12-003614-6
* スモールトーク "Smalltalk" ISBN 4-544-04099-X
* ニート "NEET", settles on the matter ofNEET . ISBN 4-04-873643-4
* 沖で待つ "Oki de Matsu" (Waiting Offshore), won the 134th Akutagawa Prize. ISBN 4-16-324850-1
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