Bungei Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 51 (2014) award
Lee Ryong-deok
い よんどく
Ri Ryūtoku
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1976 （Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan）
- Nationality
- South Korea
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan (birthplace) → Osaka, Japan (residence)
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist
- Active Years
- 2014-
- Nominations
- Nominated for the 38th Noma Literary Newcomer Prize (2016) for 'People Who Are Not Rewarded Will Never Be Rewarded'
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseda University | First Faculty of Letters | — | — | — | Japan |
Waseda University
First Faculty of Letters
Country:
Japan
Graduated
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Bungei Prize | Call Me When You Want to Die | — | Kawade Shobo Shinsha (Bungei) | Winner |
| 2020 | Noma Literary Newcomer Prize | Before You Kill Me with a Bamboo Spear | — | Noma Cultural Foundation | Winner |
Bungei Prize
2014
Work:
Call Me When You Want to Die
Organization:
Kawade Shobo Shinsha (Bungei)
Result:
Winner
Noma Literary Newcomer Prize
2020
Work:
Before You Kill Me with a Bamboo Spear
Organization:
Noma Cultural Foundation
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Noma Literary Newcomer Award
1 appearances
-
Edition 42 (2020) award
Works
Major Works
Call Me When You Want to Die
2014 FictionA collection of short stories including the debut piece. The stories depict death, loneliness and family relationships with a calm tone.
lonelinessdeathfamilyalienation
People Who Are Not Rewarded Will Never Be Rewarded
2016 FictionA collection of stories (short and mid-length) that examines absurdity and the lack of redemption in everyday life, focusing on characters who are unrewarded by society.
absurditymarginalizationisolation
To Love, To Understand, To Be Loved
2018 FictionA collection of short stories about love and understanding that delves into the complexities of human relationships.
loveunderstandinghuman relationships
Before You Kill Me with a Bamboo Spear
2020 FictionWinner of the 42nd Noma Literary Newcomer Prize. A work with novel-length and interconnected story elements that portrays violence and the collapse of relationships.
violencebreakdown of relationshipsrevenge and forgiveness
Silencing the Stone
2022 FictionA work published in book form after appearing in Gunzo magazine. Includes short stories that explore silence, memory and the limits of language.
memorysilencelimits of language
Bibliography
- Call Me When You Want to Die (2014, Kawade Shobo Shinsha)
- People Who Are Not Rewarded Will Never Be Rewarded (2016, Kawade Shobo Shinsha)
- To Love, To Understand, To Be Loved (2018, Kawade Shobo Shinsha)
- Before You Kill Me with a Bamboo Spear (2020, Kawade Shobo Shinsha)
- Silencing the Stone (2022, Kodansha)
- Included in anthology 'Anti-Male' (Bungaku 2025, Kodansha, 2025)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- calm, observational descriptionrealist approachconcise and restrained narration
- Recurring Motifs
- lonelinessdeathfamily rupturesocial alienationtraces of violence
Legacy
After debuting with the Bungei Prize in 2014, he won the Noma Literary Newcomer Prize in 2020 and has become an acclaimed contemporary writer in Japan. He is praised for sharp character portrayals and choosing subjects that focus on society's margins.
Archives
- ISNI: 0000000444992021
- VIAF: 313300708
- German National Library (GND): 123571425X
- Library of Congress authority ID: no2017131952
- National Diet Library authority ID: 001187788
Trivia
- Third-generation Zainichi Korean.
- Born in 1976. From Kawaguchi, Saitama; reported residence in Osaka Prefecture.
- Graduate of Waseda University, First Faculty of Letters.
- Debuted by winning the 51st Bungei Prize in 2014 for 'Call Me When You Want to Die'.
- Won the 42nd Noma Literary Newcomer Prize in 2020 for 'Before You Kill Me with a Bamboo Spear'.