Shincho Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 55 (2023) award
Rikako Akamatsu
あかまつ りかこ
Akamatsu Rikako
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Born
- Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Resident of Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Veterinarian
- Active Years
- 2023-
- Influenced By
- Kenzaburo Oe, J. M. Coetzee, Medoruma Shun, Henmi Yo, Lu Xun, Shimamure Michiko
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nihon University Second High School | — | — | — | — | Japan |
| Veterinary university (unspecified) | — | Department of Veterinary Medicine | — | — | Japan |
Nihon University Second High School
Country:
Japan
High school graduate
Veterinary university (unspecified)
Department of Veterinary Medicine
Country:
Japan
Graduated from veterinary university; worked as a clinical veterinarian
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Shincho Newcomer Award | Shaman and the Bomb Man | — | Shinchosha | Winner |
Shincho Newcomer Award
2023
Work:
Shaman and the Bomb Man
Organization:
Shinchosha
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Has Grace Died?
2024 Short story collectionHer first collected volume. A short story collection centered on urban life, death, and human–animal relationships, composed mainly of pieces published in Shincho magazine.
deathurban lifehuman-animal relationships
Shaman and the Bomb Man
2023 Short storyThe story that won the 55th Shincho Newcomer Award. A short piece set in contemporary Tokyo that depicts a shaman-like figure and the effects of violence.
contemporary societyclash of tradition and secular lifeviolence
Bibliography
- Has Grace Died? (short story collection, 2024)
- Shaman and the Bomb Man (published in Shincho, Nov. 2023)
- Living in Fiction (essay, Bungeikai, Jan. 2024)
- Arrive and Offer Again (book review, Shincho, Feb. 2024)
- I Do Not Know 'The Heart' (book review, Shincho, May 2025)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- calm, observational narrationexperimental short fiction exploring alienation and violence in contemporary society
- Recurring Motifs
- deathlonelinesshuman-animal relationshipsurban landscapes
Legacy
A debut author who gained attention after winning the Shincho Newcomer Award. Praised for perspectives informed by her work as a veterinarian and an experimental style influenced by writers such as Kenzaburo Oe.
Trivia
- She is a qualified veterinarian and has worked as a clinical veterinarian.
- Debuted after winning the 55th Shincho Newcomer Award in 2023.
- Her first collected volume, Has Grace Died?, was published in July 2024.