R-18 Literary Award for Women by Women
1 appearances
-
Edition 15 (2016) grand prize
Sonoko Machida
まちだ そのこ
Machida Sonoko
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1980-03-09 （Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Kyoto District, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan → Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan (Cultural Ambassador)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist
- Active Years
- 2016-
- Influenced By
- Saeko Himuro, Kaoru Takada, Yoko Ogawa, Kanako Nishi, Shino Sakuragi
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitakyushu Municipal School of Hair and Beauty (now Kyushu CTB Vocational School) | — | Hairdressing and Beauty | — | — | Japan |
Kitakyushu Municipal School of Hair and Beauty (now Kyushu CTB Vocational School)
Hairdressing and Beauty
Country:
Japan
Attended at mother's recommendation to acquire occupational skills
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | R-18 Literary Prize for Women, by Women | The Blue Fish of Cameroon | 大賞 | Shinchosha | 受賞 |
| 2021 | Booksellers Award (Honya Taisho) | 52 Hertz Whales | 大賞 | Honya Taisho Executive Committee | 受賞 |
R-18 Literary Prize for Women, by Women
2016
Work:
The Blue Fish of Cameroon
Category:
大賞
Organization:
Shinchosha
Result:
受賞
Booksellers Award (Honya Taisho)
2021
Work:
52 Hertz Whales
Category:
大賞
Organization:
Honya Taisho Executive Committee
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Japan Booksellers' Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 18 (2021) award
Yoshikawa Eiji Literary Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 46 (2025) nominee
Works
Major Works
Chocolategrammy Swimming in the Night Sky
2017 Short story collectionA collection of short stories that explore the strangeness in everyday life and subtle human relationships. Includes the award-winning "The Blue Fish of Cameroon."
LonelinessFamilyEveryday strangeness
Gyoran
2018 Short story collectionA collection of short and mid-length stories that quietly portray characters whose emotions are shaken within everyday life.
LossRebirthLocal communities
The House of Misfortune in Utsukushigaoka
2019 Short story collectionA linked short story collection centered on houses such as "The End House." Deals with family, loss, and imbalances in everyday life.
FamilyLossSense of place
52 Hertz Whales
2020 NovelUsing the 52-hertz whale as a motif symbolizing loneliness, this novel depicts the connections and renewal among isolated people. It resonated with many readers and won the Booksellers Award.
LonelinessCommunicationRenewal
Adaptations
- [Film] 52 Hertz Whales (2024)
Convenience Store Brothers — Tenderness Mojiko Kogane Village Branch —
2020 Novel/SeriesA series of interlinked stories set around a convenience store, warmly observing family and local community relationships.
CommunityFamilyValue of everyday life
Scooping Up Stars
2021 NovelA mid- to full-length novel that delicately portrays the subtleties of human relationships and small everyday miracles.
Everyday miraclesConnectionOvercoming loss
Even If You Are Not Here
2022 Short story collectionA collection of short stories addressing absence and parting, characterized by a compassionate perspective on people carrying loss.
LossMemoryRenewal
Sora Meals
2022 Novel / Family novelA family novel that portrays the mother-daughter relationship and growth through food. Table scenes form the core of the story.
FoodFamilyGrowth
The Flowers I Know
2024 Short story collectionA collection of short stories about nature and memory, featuring delicate depictions of nature intersecting with characters' inner lives.
NatureMemorySentimentality
Bibliography
- Chocolategrammy Swimming in the Night Sky
- Gyoran
- The House of Misfortune in Utsukushigaoka
- 52 Hertz Whales
- Convenience Store Brothers — Tenderness Mojiko Kogane Village Branch —
- Scooping Up Stars
- Convenience Store Brothers 2 — Tenderness Mojiko Kogane Village Branch —
- Even If You Are Not Here
- Sora Meals
- Convenience Store Brothers 3 — Tenderness Mojiko Kogane Village Branch —
- Between Dawn and Dusk
- Convenience Store Brothers 4 — Tenderness Mojiko Kogane Village Branch —
- The Flowers I Know
Adaptations
- 52 Hertz Whales — Film adaptation (2024, GAGA)
- TV appearance on "Typewriters: The World of Writers" (2021)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Accessible narrative voiceDetailed depiction of everyday lifeWarm realism
- Recurring Motifs
- Sea and fishFamily and dining tableLoneliness and renewalLife in small towns
Legacy
With a style that portrays local landscapes and the subtleties of everyday life, she has gained broad readership and national recognition after winning the Booksellers Award. With adaptations and media appearances, she is regarded as a notable contemporary Japanese author.
In Popular Culture
- 52 Hertz Whales film adaptation (2024)
- TV appearance: Typewriters — The World of Writers (2021)
Quotes
-
I decided I would definitely become a writer.
Source: Interview (award-winner interview) (2016)
Trivia
- Former hairdresser
- Returned to writing fiction at age 28
- Serves as a cultural ambassador for Kitakyushu
- Likes beer, coffee and bitter chocolate