Mieko Kawakami

Japanin kiinnostavin nykykirjailija on Keltaisen kirjaston uusin löytö.Sensaatiomaiseen suosioon noussut Mieko Kawakami kirjoittaa viiltävän terävästi mutta myötätuntoisesti yksinäisyydestä, luokkaeroista ja naisiin kohdistuvista odotuksista.Fuyuko on 34-vuotias kustannusalan freelancer, joka asuu Tokiossa yksin, hiljaisten rutiiniensa ja eristäytyneisyytensä vankina. Hänen ainoa merkityksellinen ihmissuhteensa on työtoveruus Hijiri-kollegan kanssa ja harrastuksensa päämäärätön kävely Tokion öisillä kaduilla. Kun Fuyuko tapaa sattumalta miehen, joka näkee hänen paksun suojakuorensa läpi, ankarat rutiinit saavat särön. Voisiko elämällä olla enemmän annettavaa? Vai onko toivo turhaa?”Feministi-ikoni … kansainvälinen kirjallisuuden supertähti.” THE NEW YORK TIMES”Mieko Kawakami on nero.” KIRJAILIJA NAOISE DOLANMieko Kawakami on arvostettu kirjailija, joka tunnetaan kansainvälisestä bestselleristä Breasts and Eggs. Japanin Osakassa syntynyt Kawakami aloitti uransa runoilijana ja novellistina ja julkaisi ensimmäisen novellinsa My Ego, My Teeth, and the World vuonna 2007. Hänen teoksiaan on käännetty yli 20 kielelle, ja ne tunnetaan paitsi lyyrisestä kielestä myös naisen kehoon sekä eettisiin ja yhteiskunnallisiin kysymyksiin liittyvistä teemoista. Kawakami on saanut lukuisia kirjallisuuspalkintoja, mm. japanilaiset Akutagawa-, Tanizaki- ja Murasaki Shikibu -palkinnot. Sam Bettin ja David Boydin englanniksi kääntämä Heaven oli ehdolla vuoden 2022 kansainvälisen Booker-palkinnon voittajaksi. Hänen tuorein romaaninsa, Kaikki rakastavaiset yössä, oli ehdolla National Book Critics Circle -palkinnon voittajaksi vuonna 2023. Kawakami asuu Tokiossa.

"I can never forget the sense of pure astonishment I felt when I first read Mieko Kawakami." --Haruki Murakami From Mieko Kawakami, award-winning author of Breasts and Eggs, comes a bold novel of sacrifice and the tumultuous bonds of sisterhood, set in the gritty Tokyo of the 1990s. Hana has nothing - she's fifteen years old and living in a tiny apartment in a suburb of Tokyo with her young mother, a hostess at a local dive bar. They have no money, no security. Then Kimiko appears. Kimiko is older, a bright light in Hana's dark world. Together they set up Lemon, a bar that, despite its shabby setting and seedy clientele, becomes a haven for Hana. Suddenly Hana has a job she loves, friends to share her days with, and the glittering promise of money. She feels like a normal girl. She feels invincible. But in the narrow alleys of Sangenjaya, nothing is as it seems. Soon all of Hana's hope, her optimism, and her drive will be pushed to the limit . . . A story of enduring friendship and deep betrayal, Sisters in Yellow is a masterpiece of teenage dreams and adult cruelties that confirms Mieko Kawakami as one of the great writers of her generation.

From the bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami comes a sharp and illuminating novel about a teenage boy subjected to relentless bullying.

A beguiling novel about three women struggling to determine their own lives in contemporary Tokyo.'Breathtaking' – Haruki Murakami author of Norwegian WoodA New York Times 'Notable Book of the Year' and one of Elena Ferrante's 'Top 40 Books by Female Authors'. Shortlisted for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation.On a hot summer’s day in a poor suburb of Tokyo we meet three women: thirty-year-old Natsuko, her older sister Makiko, and Makiko’s teenage daughter Midoriko. Makiko, an ageing hostess despairing the loss of her looks, has travelled to Tokyo in search of breast enhancement surgery. She's accompanied by her daughter, who has recently stopped speaking, finding herself unable to deal with her own changing body and her mother’s self-obsession. Her silence dominates Natsuko’s rundown apartment, providing a catalyst for each woman to grapple with their own anxieties and their relationships with one another.Eight years later, we meet Natsuko again. She is now a writer and finds herself on a journey back to her native city, returning to memories of that summer and her family’s past as she faces her own uncertain future.In Breasts and Eggs Mieko Kawakami paints a radical and intimate portrait of contemporary working class womanhood in Japan, recounting the heartbreaking journeys of three women in a society where the odds are stacked against them. Translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd.'Bold, modern and surprising' – An Yu, author of Braised Pork'Incredible and propulsive' – Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZEFrom the bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami, a sharp and illuminating novel about the impact of violence and the power of solidarity.A bold foray into new literary territory, Kawakami's novel is told in the voice of a 14-year-old student subjected to relentless torment for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, the boy chooses to suffer in complete resignation. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate who suffers similar treatment at the hands of her tormentors.These raw and realistic portrayals of bullying are counterbalanced by textured exposition of the philosophical and religious debates concerning violence to which the weak are subjected.Heaven stands as a dazzling testament to Kawakami's literary talent. There can be little doubt that it has cemented her reputation as one of today's most important young authors working to expand the boundaries of contemporary Japanese literature.A New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, Oprah Daily, CNN, Bustle, and Ms. Magazine most anticipated book of the year.A June 2021 Indie Next Pick

A BEST BOOK OF 2020TIME Magazine・The Atlantic・Book Riot・Electric Literature・The New York Times (Notable Book of the Year) The story of three women by a writer hailed by Haruki Murakami as Japan's most important contemporary novelist, WINNER OF THE AKUTAGAWA PRIZE. On a sweltering summer day, Makiko travels from Osaka to Tokyo, where her sister Natsu lives. She is in the company of her daughter, Midoriko, who has lately grown silent, finding herself unable to voice the vague yet overwhelming pressures associated with adolescence. The story of these three women reunited in a working-class neighborhood of Tokyo is told through the gaze of Natsu--thirty years old, an aspiring writer, haunted by hardships endured in her youth. Over the course of their few days together in the capital, Midoriko's silence will prove a catalyst for each woman to confront her fears and family secrets. On yet another blistering summer's day eight years later, Natsu, during a journey back to her native city, struggles with her own indeterminate identity as she confronts anxieties about growing old alone and childless. One of Japan's most important and best-selling writers, Mieko Kawakami mixes stylistic inventiveness, wry humor, and riveting emotional depth to tell a story of contemporary womanhood in Japan. Breasts and Eggs recounts the intimate journeys of three women on the path to finding peace and futures they can call their own. "Original and deeply moving...This book is a gift."--Laura van den Berg

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'With Sisters in Yellow, [Kawakami] proves she is still the most exciting Japanese novelist at work today' The Times A heart-stopping story of teenage girls on the brink in 1990s Tokyo from the International Booker Prize-Shortlisted author of HEAVEN and BREASTS AND EGGS Hana has nothing but she’s hopeful. She’s fifteen years old. She lives in a tiny apartment in a suburb of Tokyo with her young mother, a hostess at a local dive bar. They have no money, no security. Then Kimiko appears. Kimiko is older, a bright light in Hana’s dark world. Together they set up Lemon, a bar that, despite its shabby setting and seedy clientele, becomes a haven for Hana. Suddenly Hana has a job she loves, friends to share her days with, and the glittering promise of money. She feels like a normal girl. She feels invincible. But in the narrow alleys of Sangenjaya, nothing is as it seems. Soon all of Hana’s hope, her optimism, and her drive, will be tested to the limit . . . A story of enduring friendship and deep betrayal, Sisters in Yellow is a masterpiece of teenage dreams and adult cruelties that confirms Mieko Kawakami as one of the great writers of her generation. Readers love Sisters in Yellow: 'My new favourite book of ALL TIME. The ending absolutely destroyed me.' 'A powerful, emotionally charged exploration of friendship, survival and the quiet brutality of inequality' 'Mieko Kawakami doesn't need a high-speed chase to create tension; she lets a heavy, unsettling mood seep into the floorboards' 'Confirms Kawakami’s place as one of the most vital voices in contemporary literature' 'The character building is second to none . . . Mieko Kawakami is a generational talent' 'This is Kawakami at her best. Not for a second does the pace let up.'

Hypnoottinen mysteeri Tokion pimeältä puolelta. Japanin kiinnostavin nykykirjailija punoo kiehtovan, trillerimäisen romaanin 1990-luvun Tokiosta, joka on täynnä nuhruisia kapakoita, alamaailman uhkaa ja suuria unelmia. Teini-ikäinen Hana elää kaksin äitinsä kanssa ahtaassa asunnossa Tokion lähiössä, kunnes hän eräänä päivänä tapaa mystisen Kimiko-nimisen naisen. Kimiko tarjoaa Hanalle houkuttelevan pakoreitin köyhyydestä, ja niin Hana päätyy pitämään Kimikon kanssa baaria. Ensimmäistä kertaa elämässä hänellä on ystäviä, yhteisö ja rahaa, ja baarin naisten välinen solidaarisuus kannattelee suurkaupungin hämyisessä yöelämässä. Vaan kuka kuin tyhjästä ilmestynyt Kimiko todella on, ja mitä hän aikoo? Utuisen koukuttava romaani rakentaa mysteerin, joka ei jätä rauhaan. ”Halusin tutkia, millainen Breaking Bad -tyyppisestä tarinasta voisi tulla ilman kaikkea sitä machoilua.” Mieko Kawakami, THE NEW YORK TIMES ”Mieko Kawakami on japanilaisen kirjallisuuden it girl.” THE JAPAN TIMES Mieko Kawakami on arvostettu kirjailija, joka tunnetaan kansainvälisestä bestselleristä Breasts and Eggs. Romaani pääsi New York Timesin ja Timen Vuoden 2020 parhaat kirjat -listoille. Sam Bettin ja David Boydin englanniksi kääntämät teokset ovat saaneet kriitikoilta kiitosta: Heaven oli ehdolla vuoden 2022 International Booker -palkinnon ja Kaikki rakastavaiset yössä vuoden 2023 National Book Critics Circle Awardin saajaksi. Keltainen talo voitti vuonna 2024 Yomiuri-palkinnon. Kawakamin romaaneja on käännetty 40 kielelle, ja ne tunnetaan naisen kehoon sekä eettisiin, filosofisiin ja yhteiskunnallisiin kysymyksiin kuten sukupuoli- ja luokkaeroihin liittyvistä teemoistaan. Japanin Osakassa syntynyt Kawakami asuu Tokiossa.

From the International Booker Prize-Shortlisted author of Heaven and Breasts and Eggs Hana has nothing but she's hopeful. She's fifteen years old. She lives in a tiny apartment in a suburb of Tokyo with her young mother, a hostess at a local dive bar. They have no money, no security. Then Kimiko appears. Kimiko is older, a bright light in Hana's dark world. Together they set up Lemon, a bar that, despite its shabby setting and seedy clientele, becomes a haven for Hana. Suddenly Hana has a job she loves, friends to share her days with, and the glittering promise of money. She feels like a normal girl. She feels invincible. But in the narrow alleys of Sangenjaya, nothing is as it seems. Soon all of Hana's hope, her optimism, and her drive, will be tested to the limit . . . Twenty years later, Kimiko is on trial. Now Hana must wrestle with her own actions, and face their devastating consequences. A story of enduring friendship and deep betrayal, Sisters in Yellow is a masterpiece of teenage dreams and adult cruelties that confirms Mieko Kawakami as one of the great writers of her generation.

Deluxe Hardback edition From the International Booker Prize-Shortlisted author of Heaven and Breasts and Eggs Hana has nothing but she's hopeful. She's fifteen years old. She lives in a tiny apartment in a suburb of Tokyo with her young mother, a hostess at a local dive bar. They have no money, no security. Then Kimiko appears. Kimiko is older, a bright light in Hana's dark world. Together they set up Lemon, a bar that, despite its shabby setting and seedy clientele, becomes a haven for Hana. Suddenly Hana has a job she loves, friends to share her days with, and the glittering promise of money. She feels like a normal girl. She feels invincible. But in the narrow alleys of Sangenjaya, nothing is as it seems. Soon all of Hana's hope, her optimism, and her drive, will be tested to the limit . . . Twenty years later, Kimiko is on trial. Now Hana must wrestle with her own actions, and face their devastating consequences. A story of enduring friendship and deep betrayal, Sisters in Yellow is a masterpiece of teenage dreams and adult cruelties that confirms Mieko Kawakami as one of the great writers of her generation.

From the International Booker Prize Shortlisted author of Heaven and Breasts and Eggs Hana has nothing but she's hopeful. She's fifteen years old. She lives in a tiny apartment in a suburb of Tokyo with her young mother, a hostess at a local dive bar. They have no money, no security. Then Kimiko appears. Kimiko is older, a bright light in Hana's dark world. Together they set up Lemon, a bar that caters to hostesses and their marks, small-time crooks, men with low morals and deep pockets, and anyone down on their luck. Suddenly Hana has a job she loves, friends to share her days with, and the glittering promise of money. She feels like a normal girl. She feels invincible. But in the seedy streets of Setagaya, nothing is as it seems. Soon all of Hana's hope, her optimism, and her drive, will be tested to the limt . . . Twenty years later, Kimiko is on trial. Now Hana must wrestle with her own actions, and face their devastating consequences. A story of enduring friendship and deep betrayal, Sisters in Yellow is a masterpiece of teenage dreams and adult cruelties that confirms Mieko Kawakami as one of the great writers of her generation.

From the International Booker Prize-Shortlisted author of Heaven and Breasts and Eggs Hana has nothing but she’s hopeful. She’s fifteen years old. She lives in a tiny apartment in a suburb of Tokyo with her young mother, a hostess at a local dive bar. They have no money, no security. Then Kimiko appears. Kimiko is older, a bright light in Hana’s dark world. Together they set up Lemon, a bar that, despite its shabby setting and seedy clientele, becomes a haven for Hana. Suddenly Hana has a job she loves, friends to share her days with, and the glittering promise of money. She feels like a normal girl. She feels invincible. But in the narrow alleys of Sangenjaya, nothing is as it seems. Soon all of Hana’s hope, her optimism, and her drive, will be tested to the limit . . . Twenty years later, Kimiko is on trial. Now Hana must wrestle with her own actions, and face their devastating consequences. A story of enduring friendship and deep betrayal, Sisters in Yellow is a masterpiece of teenage dreams and adult cruelties that confirms Mieko Kawakami as one of the great writers of her generation.

Heaven är en omskakande roman berättad av en fjortonårig pojke som blir brutalt mobbad av sina klasskamrater för att han har ett skelande öga. Året är 1991 och pojken -- som kallas Ögat -- får en dag ett brev av en flicka i sin klass. Hon berättar att även hon mobbas i skolan och de två ungdomarna inleder en brevväxling som utvecklas till en stark vänskap och skänker en strimma ljus i den annars så mörka tillvaron. Mieko Kawakami är en mästare på att med små medel förmedla stämningar och skildra sina romanpersoners komplexa känsloliv. Här utforskar hon också hur samhället bidrar till att stöta ut de avvikande och hur olika man som individ kan bemöta det: medan hans vän har en självacceptans och motståndsvilja som huvudpersonen avundas, drömmer han själv om att operera sitt öga för att kunna smälta in. Med en prosa som är lika vacker som den är smärtsam att läsa frågar romanen: Hur långt är vi villiga att gå för att passa in, och vad förlorar vi på vägen? MIEKO KAWAKAMI (född 1976 i Osaka) är en av Japans mest ansedda och bästsäljande författare, belönad med flera av landets största litteraturpriser. I sin engelska översättning var Heaven kortlistad till International Booker Prize. VIBEKE EMOND är en av Sveriges mest ansedda översättare från japanska. Hon haröversatt bland andra Haruki Murakami, Yoko Tawada och Yoko Ogawa,men också gammal japansk lyrik.

Fuyuko Irie är 34 år gammal och lever ett ensamt liv som frilansande korrekturläsare i Tokyo. När hon en dag får syn på sin spegelbild i en varuautomat hittar hon bara ett ord för att beskriva sig själv: bedrövlig. Hon inser att hon bara låtit livet hända; hon har inga relationer, inga passioner, inget att längta efter. För att bli en annan tar hon alkoholen till hjälp, men det går snart upp för henne att hon också behöver bearbeta de smärtsamma minnena hon bär på. Ett slumpartat möte med en man väcker något i henne, men räcker det för att skänka livet mening?Alla nattens älskare är en stillsam roman om en vilsen kvinnas inre värld, skriven av en av Japans största författare.MIEKO KAWAKAMI (född 1976 i Osaka) debuterade som poet 2006, men var redan då en känd popsångerska och bloggare i Japan. Idag är hon enhögt ansedd och bästsäljande författare, belönad med flera av landets största litteraturpriser. Vi har tidigare givit ut hennes roman Bröst ochägg.VIBEKE EMOND är en av Sveriges mest ansedda översättare från japanska. Hon har bland annat översatt Haruki Mura­kami, Yoko Ogawa och Banana Yoshimoto men också äldre japansk lyrik.