Natsuko Imamura

Natsuko Imamura (今村 夏子, Imamura Natsuko, born 1980) is a Japanese writer. She has been nominated three times for the Akutagawa Prize, and won the prize in 2019. She has also won the Dazai Osamu Prize, the Mishima Yukio Prize, the Kawai Hayao Story Prize, and the Noma Literary New Face Prize.

Natsuko Imamura
Native name
今村 夏子
Born1980 (age 40–41)
Hiroshima, Japan
OccupationWriter
LanguageJapanese
NationalityJapanese
GenreFiction
Notable works
  • Atarashii musume
  • Kochira amiko
  • Hoshi no ko
  • Ahiru
Notable awards

Biography

Imamura was born in Hiroshima, Japan in 1980, and later moved to Osaka to attend university.[1]

She wrote her first story, a novella originally titled Atarashii musume (あたらしい娘, New Girl), while working a temporary job.[2] Atarashii musume won the 26th Dazai Osamu Prize in 2010, and was published with her short story "Pikunikku" ("Picnic") in one volume under the new title Kochira Amiko (こちらあみ子, Amiko Here), which then won the 24th Mishima Yukio Prize.[3]

In 2017, Imamura received the 5th Kawai Hayao Story Prize for her 2016 book Ahiru (あひる).[4] Ahiru was also nominated for the 155th Akutagawa Prize, but the prize went to Sayaka Murata.[5][6] That same year Imamura won the 39th Noma Literary New Face Prize for Hoshi no ko (星の子, Child of the Stars), a book about a junior high school girl in a family that becomes increasingly involved in a new religious movement.[7] Hoshi no ko was also nominated for the 156th Akutagawa Prize, but the prize went to first-time writer Shinsuke Numata.[8][9]

In 2019, Imamura received her third Akutagawa Prize nomination, for her novel Murasaki no sukaato no onna (むらさきのスカートの女, The Woman in the Purple Skirt).[10] The book, a first-person account of a woman watching her neighbor, won the 161st Akutagawa Prize.[11]

Imamura lives in Osaka with her husband and daughter.[1]

Recognition

Selected works
  • Kochira Amiko (こちらあみ子, Amiko Here), Chikuma Shobō, 2011, ISBN 9784480804303
  • Ahiru (あひる, Duck), Shoshi Kankanbo, 2016, ISBN 9784863852419
  • Hoshi no ko (星の子, Child of the Stars), Asahi Shimbun Shuppan, 2017, ISBN 9784022514745
  • Murasaki no sukaato no onna (むらさきのスカートの女, The Woman in the Purple Skirt), Asahi Shimbun Shuppan, 2019, ISBN 9784022516121

References
  1. "芥川賞候補・今村夏子「劣等感を抱えていた子供時代」語る". Weekly Asahi (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun. August 2, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  2. "Authors: Natsuko Imamura". Books from Japan. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  3. "三島由紀夫賞：今村夏子「こちらあみ子」太宰賞と2冠　山本周五郎賞は窪美澄「ふがいない僕は空を見た」". MANTAN Web (in Japanese). Mainichi Shimbun. May 17, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  4. "今村さん「楽しんで書けた」・釈さん「豊かさ伝えたかった」　河合隼雄物語賞・学芸賞、授賞式". Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). June 26, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  5. "今村夏子さん 芥川賞候補「あひる」　ふとした瞬間、すくう見事さ". Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). August 25, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  6. "第155回「芥川賞」に村田沙耶香氏『コンビニ人間』 直木賞に荻原浩氏『海の見える理髪店』". Oricon News (in Japanese). Oricon. July 19, 2016. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  7. "野間文芸賞　震災経て生まれた「土の記」の高村薫さんら会見". Sankei News (in Japanese). December 4, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  8. 鴻巣, 友季子 (June 20, 2017). "芥川賞候補『星の子』が描き出す"むきだしの真実"". Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  9. Kikuchi, Daisuke (July 19, 2017). "First-time writer Shinsuke Numata wins prestigious Akutagawa Prize". The Japan Times. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  10. "令和初「芥川賞・直木賞」候補作発表 芥川賞は古市憲寿が連続選出、直木賞6作はすべて女性作家". Oricon News. June 17, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  11. "Two women named for Japan's Akutagawa, Naoki literary awards". Kyodo News. July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019 – via The Japan Times.
  12. "太宰治賞受賞者一覧" (in Japanese). Chikuma Shobō. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  13. "三島由紀夫賞　過去の受賞作品" (in Japanese). Shinchosha. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  14. "第5回河合隼雄物語賞・学芸賞発表記者会見の様子が公開されました！" (in Japanese). Kawai Hayao Foundation. June 23, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  15. "野間文芸新人賞 過去受賞作" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved August 1, 2018.
  16. "芥川龍之介賞　最新情報" (in Japanese). 日本文学振興会. July 17, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
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