Japanese Literary Awards

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Akiko Sueyoshi

すえよし あきこ

Sueyoshi Akiko

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1942-08-27 （Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan）
Died
2016-05-28 age 73
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Yokohama → Numazu

Career

Occupations
Children's literature author, Editor, Scriptwriter, Translator, Adjunct lecturer
Active Years
1975-2016
Affiliations
Former board member, Japan Board on Books for Young People (JBBY), Japan PEN Club (Children's Books Committee)
Memberships
Japan PEN Club
Influenced By
Satoru Sato

Education

Aoyama Gakuin Women's Junior College
Department of English / English
Year of Graduation: 1963
Country: Japan

Awards

Japan Children's Literary Artists Association Newcomer Prize
1977
Work: The Girl Who Returned to the Stars
Organization: Children's Literary Artists Association
Result: 受賞
Japan Children's Literature Association Newcomer Prize
1978
Work: The Girl Who Returned to the Stars
Organization: Japan Children's Literature Association
Result: 受賞
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award
1985
Work: Dakkun Let's Play (series)
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Noma Juvenile Literature Prize
1986
Work: Mama's Yellow Baby Elephant
Organization: Noma Cultural Foundation
Result: 受賞
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (Recommended)
1997
Work: The King of Land and Tide
Organization: Sankei Shimbun
Result: 推薦
Shogakukan Children's Publishing Culture Award
1998
Work: Rainy Flowers Bloomed
Organization: Shogakukan
Result: 受賞
Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award (Fuji TV Prize)
2011
Work: Miu with Red Hair
Organization: Sankei Shimbun / Fuji Television
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Girl Who Became a Monster

1975 Children's picture book 32 pages
fantasytransformationchildhood growth

The Girl Who Returned to the Stars

1977 Children's novel (long-form) 200 pages

A long fantasy novel blending logic and imagination, following a girl's ties to the stars.

fantasybelongingself-discovery

Mama's Yellow Baby Elephant

1985 Children's literature (middle-length / picture book) 160 pages

A children's book depicting parent-child bonds, combining humor and emotion for young readers.

familyadventurehumor

Ram the Mummy of Zokuzoku Village (Zokuzoku Village Ghosts series)

1989 Children's picture book (series) 32 pages

One entry in the Zokuzoku Village Ghosts series, featuring friendly monsters and ghosts.

monstersfriendshiphumor

Zawazawa Forest's Ganko-chan (script/TV adaptation)

1996 Children's puppet show (script)

Wrote scripts for the NHK educational puppet show; used as moral education material for lower elementary grades.

moralityfriendshipeveryday life
Adaptations
  • [Puppet show] Zawazawa Forest's Ganko-chan (NHK Educational TV) (1996)

Bibliography

  • The Girl Who Became a Monster (1975)
  • The Girl Who Returned to the Stars (1977)
  • Mama's Yellow Baby Elephant (1985)
  • Zokuzoku Village Ghosts series (1989–)
  • Zawazawa Forest's Ganko-chan (scripts/books, 1996–)

Adaptations

  • NHK Educational TV 'Zawazawa Forest's Ganko-chan' (puppet show)

Translations by Author

  • Numerous children's translations

Translations of Works

  • Some works introduced in English translations

Style & Themes

Literary Style
A voice that works in both picture books for very young children and long-form fantasyStructures that balance logical coherence and imaginationTone characterized by humor and gentleness
Recurring Motifs
monsters such as dinosaurs and kaijughosts and yokaiparent-child and friendship relationshipsintersection of fantasy and everyday life

Health

  • Lung adenocarcinoma
    Died of lung adenocarcinoma in 2016. Public details about treatment and the duration of illness are not specified.

Legacy

Left a wide-ranging oeuvre from books for very young children to long-form fantasy; well known for long-running picture-book series and NHK puppet show scripts. Contributed to nurturing children's literature and to translation and publication activities.

Academic Societies

  • Japan Children's Literature Association
  • Children's Literary Artists Association

Archives

  • National Diet Library (author materials)

In Popular Culture

  • Influence on a generation through NHK's 'Zawazawa Forest's Ganko-chan' television puppet show

Trivia

  • Began as an editor at Kodansha before becoming a freelance writer and starting creative work.
  • Collaborated frequently with illustrator Tsutomu Murakami and others.
  • Was appointed a 'Sansan Numazu Ambassador' by the city of Numazu.