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Mikako Brady

ブレイディ ミカコ

Brady Mikako

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1965-06-07 （Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese, English
Residence History
Fukuoka → London → Dublin → Brighton, United Kingdom

Career

Occupations
Nursery worker, Writer, Columnist, Translator, Novelist, Author
Active Years
2005-
Influenced By
John Lydon (Johnny Rotten)
Nominations
Ōya Soichi Memorial Japan Nonfiction Prize, Ōya Soichi Nonfiction Prize

Education

Fukuoka Prefectural Shuyukan High School
Period: 〜1984
Year of Graduation: 1984
Country: Japan
Graduated high school; later moved to and lived in the UK.

Awards

Shincho Documentary Prize
2017
Work: Children's Class Struggles: From Free Nurseries of Broken Britain
Organization: Shinchosha
Result: 受賞
Ōya Soichi Memorial Japan Nonfiction Prize (nominated)
2018
Work: Children's Class Struggles: From Free Nurseries of Broken Britain
Organization: Japan Literary Promotion Foundation
Result: 候補
Mainichi Publishing Culture Award
2019
Work: I'm Yellow, I'm White, and a Little Blue
Category: 特別賞
Organization: The Mainichi Newspapers Co., Ltd.
Result: 受賞
Honya Taisho (Booksellers' Award) - Nonfiction Prize
2019
Work: I'm Yellow, I'm White, and a Little Blue
Organization: Honya Taisho Executive Committee
Result: 受賞
Booklog Awards (Essay/Nonfiction Category)
2019
Work: I'm Yellow, I'm White, and a Little Blue
Organization: Booklog
Result: 受賞
Yaesu Book Award
2019
Work: I'm Yellow, I'm White, and a Little Blue
Organization: Yaesu Book Center
Result: 受賞
Kinobes! (Kinokuniya staff picks)
2020
Work: I'm Yellow, I'm White, and a Little Blue
Organization: Kinokuniya Bookstore
Result: 第1位
Ōya Soichi Nonfiction Prize (nominated)
2019
Work: I'm Yellow, I'm White, and a Little Blue
Organization: Ōya Soichi Nonfiction Prize Committee
Result: 候補

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Children's Class Struggles: From Free Nurseries of Broken Britain

2017 Nonfiction

A reportage-style account by the author working in free nurseries in the UK, depicting how austerity has produced economic inequality and following the daily lives of children and parents.

classchildcarewelfareeconomic inequality

I'm Yellow, I'm White, and a Little Blue

2019 Essay / Nonfiction

An essay collection centered on the author's parenting, reflecting on multiculturalism, diversity, class and discrimination, based on childcare experience in the UK and daily observations.

diversityparentingrace and identityclass

No Future for Flower Life

2005 Essay

An early work incorporating punk culture and youth perspectives; an essay collection reflecting the author's roots and sensibilities.

punkyouth culturepersonal history

THIS IS JAPAN — Japan as Seen by a British Nursery Worker

2016 Nonfiction / Observational

An observational nonfiction work examining Japan from the viewpoint of a nursery worker in the UK, describing cultural, institutional, and everyday differences.

cross-cultural comparisonchildcareinstitutional critique

Bibliography

  • No Future for Flower Life (Hekitensha, 2005)
  • Anarchism in the UK (ele-king books, 2013)
  • The Left — UK Left-wing Celeb Profiles (ele-king books, 2014)
  • Europe Calling — Political Reports from the Ground (Iwanami Shoten, 2016)
  • THIS IS JAPAN — Japan as Seen by a British Nursery Worker (Ohta Publishing, 2016)
  • Children's Class Struggles: From Free Nurseries of Broken Britain (Misuzu Shobo, 2017)
  • What It Means to Listen to Morrissey (ele-king books, 2017)
  • Working-Class Rebellion — Brexit Seen from the Ground (Kobunsha Shinsho, 2017)
  • Brexit Fanfare — Brexit as Seen by a Nursery Worker in the UK (Gensekisho, 2018)
  • The Terror of Women (Iwanami Shoten, 2019)
  • I'm Yellow, I'm White, and a Little Blue (Shinchosha, 2019)
  • Wandering the Wildside — The Men of Hammertown (Chikuma Shobo, 2020)
  • Listen to Broken Britain (Kodansha, 2020)
  • Politics of Women — Rising Female Politicians of the World (Gentosha, 2021)
  • Wearing Others' Shoes — On Anarchic Empathy (Bungeishunju, 2021)
  • I'm Yellow, I'm White, and a Little Blue 2 (Shinchosha, 2021)
  • Europe Calling Returns (Iwanami Gendai Bunko, 2021)
  • Tokarev in Both Hands (Poplar, 2022)
  • Life Is Music (Chikuma Bunko, 2022)
  • Music Is Politics (Chikuma Bunko, 2022)
  • Respect — R.E.S.P.E.C.T (Chikuma Shobo, 2023)
  • My Labor Novel: The Shit Job (KADOKAWA, 2023)
  • Listen to Broken Britain — Social & Political Chronicle 2018-2023 (Kodansha Bunko, 2024)
  • Like Rolling Jewels (Chuo Koron Shinsha, 2024)
  • Thinking from the Ground — Because the World Is Not Just There (Chikuma Shobo, 2024)
  • SISTER 'FOOT' EMPATHY (Shueisha, 2025)

Adaptations

  • The Spirit of '45 (Japanese subtitle supervision and commentary)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
reportagecritical essayobservational writing
Recurring Motifs
class disparitychildcare and childrenworking-class lifemulticultural coexistencepunk music

Legacy

Mikako Brady is a writer and columnist who, based on her experience as a nursery worker in the UK, has written about social issues such as class disparities and diversity in both Japan and the UK. Through reportage and essays she has presented social issues clearly to general readers and influenced public debate in Japan.

In Popular Culture

  • Contributed to discussions on diversity and childcare through interviews and reviews in media such as NHK.

Quotes

  • Vertical diversity of class is also diversity. I really think that. ... Diversity is not only about living with foreigners; we already live amid diversity.
    Source: NHK 'Ohayou Nippon' interview (excerpt) (2019)

Trivia

  • Born in Fukuoka city into a low-income family.
  • Early admirer of punk music; cites John Lydon as an influence.
  • Qualified and worked as a nursery worker in the UK, including at free nurseries.
  • Has written columns on her Yahoo! News byline page and other outlets.
  • Resides in Brighton; returned to the UK in 1996 and has lived there for many years.