Bungei Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 17 (1980) award
Mami Nakahira
なかひら まみ
Nakahira Mami
Aliases:
中平眞實
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- 1953-12-26 （Tokyo）
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Writer, Essayist
- Active Years
- 1980-
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aoyama Gakuin (Elementary, Middle & High School) | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Musashino Music University | Piano Department | — | — | — | Japan |
Aoyama Gakuin (Elementary, Middle & High School)
Country:
Japan
Musashino Music University
Piano Department
Country:
Japan
Left before graduation (dropped out)
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Bungei Prize | Stray Sheep | — | Bungei (literary magazine) | 受賞 |
Bungei Prize
1980
Work:
Stray Sheep
Organization:
Bungei (literary magazine)
Result:
受賞
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Stray Sheep
1981 NovelDebut work. A novel exploring youth loneliness and self-discovery; noted as a Bungei Prize-winning piece that brought the author public attention.
lonelinessidentityyouth
Eiga-za
1982 Short story collectionA collection including short stories centered on film and cinema themes. Some pieces were later included in a paperback edition of Stray Sheep.
filmfamilymemory
The Girl in a Sugar Coat
1989 NovelA novel focused on the tension between outward appearance and inner life, notable for its detailed psychological portrait of women.
female identityappearance vs. interiorityloneliness
Melancholia
1995 NovelA work addressing melancholy and loss; it carefully depicts inner illness and emotional turmoil.
melancholylossmental states
Days of Mania
1996 Non-fiction / MemoirA memoir based on the author's experience with bipolar disorder (mania and depression); the illness and its effects are a central subject.
mental illnessmemoirself-expression
Captured Angel
1999 NovelA novel treating mental instability and strained human relationships; it contains depictions reflecting the author's own experiences.
mind/psycheinterpersonal relationshipsloneliness
Black Sheep: Film Director Yasushi Nakahira — A Biography
1999 BiographyA biographical work about her father, film director Yasushi Nakahira; it addresses the film world and family relations.
filmfamilybiography
Sayuri-chan
2011 Memoir / EssayA collection of reminiscences and essays about actress Sayuri Yoshinaga; personal memories and reflections.
reminiscenceshow businesspersonal portrait
Polanski Is Small Too: Short Stories
2013 Short story collectionA short story collection compiling pieces that portray characters' flaws and odd circumstances.
odd talescharacter studysocial satire
I Won't Talk About the Weather: That Writer in Front of Me Acts Like This
2014 EssaysAn essay collection recounting episodes about fellow writers and acquaintances, portraying daily life and relationships among authors.
essayswriterseveryday life
Bibliography
- Stray Sheep
- Eiga-za
- Furisode Patterns for the Discerning Woman
- Marilyn Blue
- The Girl in a Sugar Coat
- Mami's Relax Club
- Under the Roses
- Koi Koi: My Selection of Manyo Love Poems
- I Don't Want a Theory of Love
- The Thing I Love Most in This World
- Dangerous Woman
- Melancholia
- Days of Mania
- Black Sheep: Film Director Yasushi Nakahira — A Biography
- Captured Angel
- Fruitful
- Sleeping Beauty Until the Prince Comes
- Sayuri-chan
- Polanski Is Small Too: Short Stories
- I Won't Talk About the Weather: That Writer in Front of Me Acts Like This
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- intimate and frank narrationa style emphasizing psychological interioritycinematic and fragmentary imagery
- Recurring Motifs
- lonelinessfamily and parent-child relationshipsmental illness and inner conflicta gaze toward film and the entertainment world
Health
-
Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness)She depicted her own experiences in works (e.g. 'Days of Mania', 'Captured Angel'), which influenced her writing.
-
Suicide attemptRecorded as an experience that has affected both her writing and public statements.
Legacy
Since her 1980 debut, Nakahira has been known for frank, intimate narration and works depicting psychological upheaval. Daughter of film director Yasushi Nakahira, she often engages with film and show-business themes and has been noted for incorporating her experiences of mental illness into her literature.
Trivia
- She is the daughter of Nikkatsu film director Yasushi Nakahira.
- Worked as an assistant on TV Asahi's 'News Seven' before debuting as a writer.
- In 1980 she won the Bungei Prize with 'Stray Sheep' (shared public attention with Yasuo Tanaka).
- She dropped out of Musashino Music University's Piano Department.
- In 2001 she ran on the proportional representation list for Jiyu Rengo in the House of Councillors election, receiving 1,608 votes and failing to win a seat.
- In 2013 she publicly discussed an affair with Naoki Inose and alleged involvement in an incident where Inose was driving under the influence during a date.