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.
- 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
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| First selection | Selection committee | Approx. 12% | Announced on the official website |
| Second selection | Selection committee | Approx. 35% | Announced on the official website |
| Final candidate selection | Selection committee | Approx. 41% | Announced on the official website |
| Award selection | Selection committee | Approx. 57% | 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.htmlPast Winners
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.
'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.
Set in former Manchuria just after Japan's defeat, this work follows Chiyo, who becomes pregnant through violence, as she faces a decision after returning to Japan and lives with memories that never fade. Based on an oral account that conveys the experience of repatriation, it won the grand prize of the 18th Kitakyushu City Autobiography Literary Award.
It looks at an experience of women that is easily buried in the history of repatriation, through the memories of one life.
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.