Izumi Kyoka Literary Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 50 (2022) award
Fumiko Ohama
おおはま ふみこ
Ohama Fumiko
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- Tokyo, Japan
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Tokyo, Japan → Frankfurt am Main, Germany (since 1995)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Japanese language teacher
- Active Years
- 2009-
- Influenced By
- Yumiko Kurahashi, Ichiyō Higuchi
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keio University, Faculty of Letters | Faculty of Letters | French Literature | 学士（文学） | — | Japan |
| Paris 7 University (Université Paris Diderot) | Master's program | French as a Foreign Language | 修士 | — | France |
Keio University, Faculty of Letters
Faculty of Letters
/ French Literature
Degree:
学士（文学）
Year of Graduation:
1980
Country:
Japan
Paris 7 University (Université Paris Diderot)
Master's program
/ French as a Foreign Language
Degree:
修士
Year of Graduation:
1987
Country:
France
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize | The Edge of the Sunny Spot | — | Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize Selection Committee | Winner |
Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize
2022
Work:
The Edge of the Sunny Spot
Organization:
Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize Selection Committee
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Takeko's Elephant
2013 Short story collectionA debut short story collection compiling pieces that delicately portray family, memory and small moments of everyday life.
memoryfamilyeveryday lifesolitude
The Garden with the Cat Tree
2009 Short story (later published in book and paperback)Contains the short story "The Garden with the Cat Tree"; uses quiet garden scenes and the presence of a cat to explore memory and relationships.
fluctuating memoryserene landscapesrelationships between humans and animals
Hallelujah on Platform 14
2018 Novella / Long short storyA story using stations and journeys as motifs, weaving together fragmented memories and encounters of various people.
encountermemoryjourney
The Edge of the Sunny Spot
2022 Short story collectionPublished as her third short-story collection; features composed, serene prose that probes memory and the human interior.
memoryinteriorityunderlying unease
Three-Line Curiousities
2024 Short pieces / EssaysPublished in 2024; a collection featuring very short pieces presented in a compact style.
condensed expressionvignettesthe uncanny
Bibliography
- Takeko's Elephant (2013)
- Hallelujah on Platform 14 (2018)
- The Edge of the Sunny Spot (2022)
- The Garden with the Cat Tree (short story first published 2009; paperback 2023)
- Three-Line Curiousities (2024)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Elegant, serene proseAdmiration for pseudo-classical Japanese (giko-bun) styleEmphasis on grammatical precision in diction
- Recurring Motifs
- the fluctuation of memoryquiet scenes such as cats and gardensinterior lives of women
Legacy
Her 2022 Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize win brought renewed attention. Her composed, serene prose and exploration of memory and everyday life have been praised, leading to paperback reissues and increased media coverage.
Quotes
-
Writing is like a psychotherapy I am compelled to undertake. When I write novels I stop having nightmares.
Source: Interview (Kosho Kōjitsu / Asahi Shimbun Books) (2022) -
If Kyōka had been on the selection committee, she would have undoubtedly recommended this.
Source: Izumi Kyōka Literary Prize selection commentary (Judge: Mieko Kanai) (2022)
Trivia
- Born 1958 in Tokyo; her father was a scholar of French literature.
- Moved to Frankfurt am Main, Germany in 1995 and has worked as a Japanese language teacher while writing.
- The short story "The Garden with the Cat Tree" was first published in 2009 in a literary magazine and later released in paperback, drawing attention.
- She has expressed admiration for pseudo-classical (giko-bun) styles and cites writers such as Ichiyō Higuchi and Yumiko Kurahashi.