Japan Mystery Literature Grand Prize Newcomer Award
にほんミステリーぶんがくたいしょうしんじんしょう
An open-submission newcomer mystery literature award sponsored by the Kobun Cultural Foundation to discover new writers with talent and ambition.
- Established
- 1997
- Organizer
- Kobunsha Cultural Foundation
- Category
- Genre Fiction
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Newcomer
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Application Deadline
- around April–May
- Announcement Period
- around October
- Status
- Active
Description
Open submission newcomer literature award sponsored by Kobunsha Cultural Foundation. Solicits broadly defined mystery works equivalent to 350-600 sheets of 400-character manuscript paper. The winner receives the Scheherazade statue as the grand prize and 5 million yen as the special prize.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Scheherazade Statue
- Cash Prize
- 5,000,000 JPY
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final selection | Selection Committee | — | Announced on the official website |
Criteria
- 350 to 600 sheets of 400-character manuscript paper
- Broadly defined mystery works
Related Awards
- Japan Mystery Literature Grand Prize
- Tsuruya Nanboku Playwriting Award
Official Resources
https://kobun.or.jp/mistery_new/Past Winners
Kyojiro Tsubaki, a struggling drummer in Osaka, notices a hearing-impaired middle school boy named Haruto sending an SOS hand sign while being harassed by rough men, and steps in to help him. This act of kindness draws the unwanted attention of yakuza, semi-organized crime groups, and suspicious detectives. Racing across Osaka with a cast of colorful companions, Tsubaki is pulled into the murky world of development rights surrounding a real wetland in northern Osaka Prefecture. This debut novel, winner of the 29th Japan Mystery Literature Award for New Writers, blends the breezy cadence of Osaka dialect with classic hardboiled fiction.
Told in a breezy Osaka dialect, yet at its core an utterly orthodox hardboiled novel. — Selection committee member Ryoe Tsukimura
Seven people selected as potential jurors are gathered at an orientation venue when a sudden announcement declares: prove the correct verdict before midnight, or the building will be detonated. As the participants are trapped in a sealed deliberation room and must solve the mystery under extreme pressure, a lawyer named Hamizu independently investigates the case from outside, convinced of the defendant's innocence. A taut time-limit suspense combining courtroom drama, death game, and orthodox mystery. Winner of the 28th Japan Mystery Literature Grand Award for New Writers.
Courtroom x death game x orthodox mystery — expose the truth before midnight in a sealed deliberation room.