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Edition 5 (2004) grand prize
Mahokaru Numata
ぬまた まほかる
Numata Mahokaru
Pen Names:
Mahokaru Numata（Pen name used as author）
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1948-01-01 （Osaka Prefecture, Japan）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Osaka Prefecture, Japan → Nara Prefecture, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist
- Active Years
- 2005-
- Nominations
- Honya Taisho (Booksellers Award) — nominated for 'Yurigokoro'
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka Literature School | Daytime program | — | — | 1985 在籍 | Japan |
Osaka Literature School
Daytime program
Period:
1985 在籍
Country:
Japan
Won the Osaka Literature School prize while enrolled
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Horror Suspense Grand Prize (5th) | If September Could Last Forever | — | — | Winner |
| 2012 | Oyabu Haruhiko Prize (14th) | Yurigokoro | — | — | Winner |
Horror Suspense Grand Prize (5th)
2004
Work:
If September Could Last Forever
Result:
Winner
Oyabu Haruhiko Prize (14th)
2012
Work:
Yurigokoro
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Oyabu Haruhiko Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 14 (2012) award
Works
Major Works
If September Could Last Forever
2005 Mystery / SuspenseA debut novel published late in the author's life; a suspense story exploring family secrets and hidden darkness.
family secretsrevengepast trauma
The Birds She Doesn't Know the Names Of
2006 MysteryA work portraying distorted human relationships and the coldness lurking beneath them.
dark aspects of humanitypsychological characterization
Adaptations
- [Film] The Birds She Doesn't Know the Names Of / 白石和彌 (2017)
Nekonari
2007 Horror / MysteryA horror-mystery where unsettling presences and human madness intertwine.
madness in everyday lifeunexplained phenomena
Amidasama
2009 MysteryA collection centered on short stories involving complex human ties and coincidences.
chance and fatehuman relationships
Yurigokoro
2011 Mystery / SuspenseA novel about past incidents and the darkness of the human heart. After winning an award it became a bestseller and was adapted to film.
past sinsguilt and punishmentmemory
Adaptations
- [Film] Yurigokoro / 熊澤尚人 (2017)
Bibliography
- If September Could Last Forever
- The Birds She Doesn't Know the Names Of
- Nekonari
- Amidasama
- Shibireru (short stories)
- Yurigokoro
Adaptations
- Yurigokoro (film, 2017)
- The Birds She Doesn't Know the Names Of (film, 2017)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Horror-suspense style grounded in realismDetailed psychological描写
- Recurring Motifs
- family secretsrevengemadness in everyday life
Legacy
Debuted in her 50s and is regarded as a leading writer of 'iyamisu' (unpleasant-aftertaste mysteries). The 2012 award and nominations for 'Yurigokoro' triggered major sales of earlier works and film adaptations, expanding her readership.
In Popular Culture
- Film adaptation of 'Yurigokoro' (2017)
- Film adaptation of 'The Birds She Doesn't Know the Names Of' (2017)
Trivia
- Debuted at age 56 with the novel 'If September Could Last Forever'.
- Has a background of having taken ordination and served as a Buddhist cleric.
- 'If September Could Last Forever' saw an additional 600,000 paperback copies printed within six months after renewed interest.