Kotoba-to Newcomer Award
ことばとしんじんしょう
Open call newcomer literary award sponsored by Kankanbou. Winning works are published in the literary mook "Kotoba to".
- Established
- 2020
- Organizer
- Kankanbou
- Category
- Pure Literature
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Newcomer
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Application Deadline
- around June
- Announcement Period
- around November
- Status
- Active
Description
Recruitment began in 2020 with the launch of the literary mook "Kotoba to." Editor-in-chief Atsushi Sasaki and the "Kotoba to" editorial team handle the selection. The 1st winning work (honorable mention) was published in "Kotoba to" vol.2. It was renewed at the 4th round, increasing the maximum submission pages from 100 to 200 sheets, and winning works are now published as single-volume books in addition to appearing in "Kotoba to."
Prize
- Main Prize
- Winning works are published in the literary mook "Kotoba to." From the 4th round onward, they are also published as single-volume books.
- Publication in literary mook "Kotoba to"
- Publication as single-volume book (from 4th round onward)
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st to 3rd rounds | Atsushi Sasaki and the "Kotoba to" editorial team | — | — |
| From 4th round onward | Kaori Ekuni, Yūki Takiguchi, Yumi Toyosaki, Sumito Yamashita, Atsushi Sasaki | — | — |
Related Awards
- List of literary awards
Official Resources
http://www.kankanbou.com/kotobatoaward/Past Winners
教室教室 is a work of fiction that portrays the reality of awkward, tiresome conversations as its characters remain in a classroom.
A work of fiction about awkward, tiresome conversations taking place in a classroom.
Nani mo Nai Heya is a work of fiction by filmmaker Yusuke Fukuhara, collected in the literary magazine Kotobato, vol. 8.
A work of fiction by Yusuke Fukuhara collected in Kotobato, vol. 8.
A linked short-story collection led by the award-winning title piece, set in a world where social VR and everyday life are gently intertwined.
Virtual princesses quietly seep into ordinary life.
A commended work from the fifth Kotobato Newcomer Prize, recorded as an allegorical short story in the pages of Kotobato vol. 7.
A slight shift in reality becomes the story’s unease.
A man heading to a meeting is drawn by a stranger into a strange izakaya and drifts into a labyrinth-like night in a psychological road movie.
An ordinary rendezvous turns into a labyrinthine night.
A work introduced through the Kotobato Shinjinsho; it can be read as a short piece that plays with rhythm and texture, but no standalone book edition could be confirmed.
The work can be confirmed, but no book edition has been found.
"だ" is a 受賞 work from the Kotoba-to Newcomer Award 2021-2. It stands out for its distinctive premise and atmosphere.
A 受賞 work from Kotoba-to Newcomer Award 2021-2.
"ゾロアスターの子宮" is a 受賞 work from the Kotoba-to Newcomer Award 2021-1. It stands out for its distinctive premise and atmosphere.
A 受賞 work from Kotoba-to Newcomer Award 2021-1.
"体操させ、られ。してやられ" is a 受賞 work from the Kotoba-to Newcomer Award 2021-1. It stands out for its distinctive premise and atmosphere.
A 受賞 work from Kotoba-to Newcomer Award 2021-1.
Michijunē is a short story by Sameri Kinna that addresses the history of harms associated with U.S. military bases in Okinawa and the ways social structures wound individual lives.
Okinawan ghosts appearing in Fukushima are led home through eisa dancing.
Nokotte Kakusan Suru Hibiki is a short story by Taro Nagai. Its narration moves across time, life, and death, bringing together the people, landscape, and history of a particular place.
Landscape and memory converge in a narrative that moves beyond time.