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Kitakyushu Autobiography Literary Award

きたきゅうしゅうし じぶんし ぶんがくしょう

A literary award targeting autobiographies, conducted by Kitakyushu City from 1990 to 2013.

AutobiographyNonfiction
Established
1990
Organizer
Kitakyushu City
Category
Nonfiction and Documentary Literature
Selection Method
Open call
Target
Open
Frequency
1 per year
Status
Ended

Description

The Kitakyushu Autobiography Literary Award is a literary prize conducted by Kitakyushu City in an open call format for about a quarter century from 1990, targeting nonfiction works themed on personal history (or the life of a person who influenced oneself). The grand prize work is published by Gakushu Kenkyusha, with prize money of 2 million yen. It ended after the 2013 edition.

Prize

Main Prize
Published by Gakushu Kenkyusha
Cash Prize
2,000,000 JPY
  • Honorable mentions (2)
  • Kitakyushu City Special Award

Selection

Selection Process

First selection
Judges Selection committee
Pass Rate Approx. 12%
Announcement Announced on the official website
Second selection
Judges Selection committee
Pass Rate Approx. 35%
Announcement Announced on the official website
Final candidate selection
Judges Selection committee
Pass Rate Approx. 41%
Announcement Announced on the official website
Award selection
Judges Selection committee
Pass Rate Approx. 57%
Announcement Announced on the official website

Criteria

  • Works themed on autobiography
  • Must be nonfiction
  • Expression of a person's way of life or influence

Related Awards

  • Fumiko Hayashi Literary Award

Official Resources

https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/kanko/menu02_0028.html

Past Winners

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小野正之 おの まさゆき grand prize

鉄の時代を生きて is a work of nonfiction by 小野正之. It centers on 実在の人物と出来事 and layers in 記録の力, showing the distinct qualities of an award-winning work.

鉄の時代を生きて is an important nonfiction work in the award history of 小野正之.

199 pages
実在の人物と出来事記録の力nonfiction
大西功 おおにし いさお grand prize

'ドックの落日' is a winning work of the 北九州市自分史文学賞 by 大西功.

'ドックの落日' is a winning work of the 北九州市自分史文学賞 by 大西功.

154 pages
human relationships
鈴木政子 すずき まさこ grand prize

わたしの赤ちゃん is an award-recognized work by 鈴木政子. It is known through the prize record and appears to portray a turning point in character or circumstance within a compact literary form.

Although no standalone publication could be confirmed, the prize record preserves its place in regional and open-call literary culture.

award-recognized workregional literatureopen-call writing
中田勝康 なかた かつやす grand prize

An autobiographical work centered on a street in Kitakyushu, connecting personal life with the memory and time of the town.

Memories along the street reveal a life and the time of a community.

autobiographyKitakyushulocal memory
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