川上未映子

Mieko Kawakami Biography

Mieko Kawakami

Mieko Kawakami is the acclaimed author of the international bestseller Breasts and Eggs. Born in Osaka, Japan, Kawakami made her literary debut as a poet and published her first novella, My Ego, My Teeth, and the World, in 2007.

Kawakami’s literary awards include the Akutagawa Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, and the Murasaki Shikibu Prize. Heaven, translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd, is on the shortlist for the 2022 International Booker Prize.

Her books, translated into over 30 languages, are known for their poetic qualities, insights into the female body, and preoccupation with ethics and modern society. Her most recent novel that has been translated into English is All the Lovers in the Night. She lives in Tokyo.

Translations

  • English

    • Fiction

      • "March Yarn"

        March Was Made of Yarn: Writers respond to Japan's Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Meltdown,
        Vintage, 2012.
        Translated by Michael Emmerich.

      • "Dreams of Love, etc."

        Monkey Business: New Writing from Japan 3 (2013).
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

        This work is also included in The Penguin Book of Japanese Short Stories. (2018)
        Introduction by Haruki Murakami, Translated by Jay Rubin.

      • "Where Have All the Sundays Gone?"

        Special Issue: On Memory: New Japanese Writing, Words without Borders, 2015.3.
        Web. (http://wordswithoutborders.org/article/where-have-all-the-sundays-gone)
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

      • "The Thirteenth Month"

        Monkey Business: New Writing from Japan 5 (2015).
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

      • "About Her and the Memories that Belong to Her" – longer short story

        Granta, Issue 132: Possession, 2015.1.
        Web. (https://granta.com/memories-belong/)
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

      • "Strawberry Fields Forever and Ever" – short story

        Pleiades: Literature in Context, 2016.1.
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

      • "The Flower Garden" – short story

        Freeman's: The Future of New Writing, 2017.10.
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

      • Ms Ice Sandwich – novella

        Pushkin Press, 2017.
        Translated by Louise Heal Kawai.

      • "How Much Heart" – short story

        Granta, 2018.8.
        Web. (https://granta.com/how-much-heart/)
        Translated by David Boyd.

      • Breasts and Eggs – novel

        Europa Editions, 2020.
        Translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd.

      • Breasts and Eggs – novel

        Picador, 2020.
        Translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd.

      • "Golden Slumbers" – short story

        New York Times, 2020. 5.19.
        Web. (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/opinion/mieko-kawakami-coronavirus-story.html)
        Translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd.

      • "Shame" – short story

        Granta, 2020.11.9.
        Web. (https://granta.com/shame-mieko-kawakami/ )
        Translated by Louise Heal Kawai and Hitomi Yoshio.

      • "Marie's Proof of Love" – short story

        World Literature Today, Winter, 2021.
        Web. (https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/2021/winter/maries-proof-love-mieko-kawakami)
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

      • Heaven – novel

        Europa Editions, 2021.
        Translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd.

      • Heaven – novel

        Picador, 2021.
        Translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd.

      • All the Lovers in the Night – novel

        Europa Editions, 2022.
        Translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd.

      • All the Lovers in the Night – novel

        Picador, 2022.
        Translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd.

    • Poetry

      • "A Once-Perfect Day for Bananafish"

        Monkey Business: New Writing from Japan 2 (2012).
        Reprinted in Electric Literature's Recommended Reading vol.12, no.4, April 2013.
        (http://recommendedreading.tumblr.com/post/48193002575/monkey-business- recommends-a-once-perfect-day-for)
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

      • "The Little Girl Blows Up Her Pee Anxiety, My Heart Races"

        Monkey Business: New Writing from Japan 4 (2014).
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

      • "The Elephant's Eye is Burning, Burning" – prose poem

        Denver Quarterly Vol.49 No.4, University of Denver, October 2015.
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

      • "My Baby"

        Monkey Business: New Writing From Japan 6 (2016).
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

      • "War Bride"

        Monkey Business: New Writing From Japan 7 (2017).
        Translated by Hitomi Yoshio.

    • Essay

    • Audio

      • Breasts and Eggs – novel

        Blackstone Publishing, 2020.
        Read by Emily Woo Zeller and Jeena Yi.

      • Breasts and Eggs – novel

        Howes Ltd., 2020.
        Read by Emily Woo Zeller and Jeena Yi.

    • Translations in Progress

      • "Ice Cream Fever" – short story

  • Albanian

    • Breasts and Eggs – novel

      Translation in progress.

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

    • All the Lovers in the Night – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Arabic

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Bulgarian

    • Breasts and Eggs – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Chinese (complex)

    • 乳與卵 (Breasts and Eggs) – novella + short story

      木馬文化, 2009.12.
      Translated by 劉子倩.

    • 貓頭鷹在黃昏飛翔 (The Owl Spreads Its Wings with the Falling of the Dusk) – long interview

      時報文化出版, 2019.1.
      Translated by 劉子倩.

    • 夏的故事 (Breasts and Eggs) – novel (an expanded version of the original novella)

      時報文化出版, 2021,11.
      Translated by 陳嫻若.

    • Heaven – novel

      時報文化出版.

      Translation in progress with蘇文淑.

  • Chinese (simplified)

    • 乳与卵 (Breasts and Eggs) – novella + short story

      上海訳文出版社, 2009.8.
      Translated by 杨伟.

    • 猫头鹰在黄昏起飞 (The Owl Spreads Its Wings with the Falling of the Dusk) – long interview

      上海译文出版社, 2019.6.
      Translated by 林少华.

    • Breasts and Eggs – novel (an expanded version of the original novella)

      上海訳文出版社.

      Translation in progress with Gao Yijun.

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Croatian

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

    • All the Lovers in the Night – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Czech

    • Prsa a vajíčka(Breasts and Eggs) – novel

      Euromedia, 2021.7.
      Translated by Klara Macuchova.

    • Heaven – novel

      Euromedia.

      Translation in progress with Klara Macuchova.

  • Dutch

    • Borsten en eitjes(Breasts and Eggs) – novel

      Uitgeverij Podium, 2022.4.
      Translated by Maarten Liebregts.

    • Heaven – novel

      Uitgeverij Podium.

      Translation in progress with Maarten Liebregts.

  • Estonian

    • Breasts and Eggs – novel

      Postimehe.

      Translation in progress with Maret Nukke.

  • French

    • Seins et oeufs (Breasts and Eggs) – novella + short story

      Actes Sud, 2012.
      Translated by Patrick Honnoré.

    • De toutes les nuits les amants (All the Lovers in the Night) – novel

      Actes Sud, 2014.
      Translated by Patrick Honnoré.

    • Heaven – novel

      Actes Sud​,​ 2016.
      Translated by Patrick Honnoré.

    • J'adore (Longing) – novel

      Actes Sud​,​ 2020.
      Translated by Patrick Honnoré.

    • "La Honte" ("Shame") – short story

      TEMPURA, 2020.Autumn
      Translated by Patrick Honnoré.

  • German

  • Greek

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Indonesian

    • Susu dan telur(Breasts and Eggs) – novel

      Taman Moooi Pustaka, 2021.9.
      Translated by Asri Pratiwi Wulandari.

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

    • All the Lovers in the Night – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Italian

    • "Domenica dove?" ("Where Have All the Sundays Gone?" from Dreams of Love, Etc.) – short story

      Internazionale, 23 dicembre 2015/7 gennaio 2016 Numero 1134.
      Translated by Gianluca Coci.

    • Seni e Uova(Breasts and Eggs) – novel

      edizioni e/o, 2020.
      Translated by Gianluca Coci.

    • Heaven – novel

      edizioni e/o, 2021.8.
      Translated by Gianluca Coci.

    • All the Lovers in the Night – novel

      edizioni e/o, 2023.1.
      Translated by Gianluca Coci.

  • Korean

    • 젖과 알 (Breasts and Eggs) – novella + short story

      文学手帳, 2008.
      Translated by 권남희.

    • 헤븐 (Heaven) – novel

      비채, 2011.
      Translated by 김춘미.

    • 수리부엉이는 황혼에 날아오른다 (The Owl Spreads Its Wings with the Falling of the Dusk) – long interview

      MUNHAKDONGNE PUBLISHING GROUP, 2018.
      Translated by 홍 은주.

    • 여름의 문(Breasts and Eggs) – novel (an expanded version of the original novella)

      Chaeksesang, 2022.5.
      Translated by 홍은주.

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Lithuanian

    • Breasts and Eggs – novel

      Baltos Lankos, 2022.12.
      Translated by Gabija Enciūtė.

  • Norwegian

    • Pupper og egg(Breasts and Eggs) – novella + short story

      Bokvennen, 2013.
      Translated by Magne Tørring.

    • Skam (Shame) – short story

      Samtiden, 2017.
      Translated by Magne Tørring.

    • Heaven – novel

      Solum Bokvennen, 2021.2.
      Translated by Magne Tørring.

    • Natsus somre(Breasts and Eggs) – novel (an expanded version of the original novella)

      Solum Bokvennen, 2022.9.
      Translated by Magne Tørring.

  • Polish

    • Breasts and Eggs – novel (an expanded version of the original novella)

      Translation in progress.

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Portuguese

    • "Sobre ela e as memórias que lhe pertence" ("​About Her and the Memories that Belong to Her​") – longer short story​

      G​ranta Portugal​, Issue 9: ​Comer e Beber​ (Eat and Drink)

  • Portuguese (Brazil)

    • Breasts and Eggs – novel (an expanded version of the original novella)

      Intrinseca.
      Translation in progress with Eunice Suenaga.

  • Romanian

    • Nopţi şi zile în Tokyo(Breasts and Eggs) – novel

      Litera International, 2021.6.
      Translated by DanaLigia Ilin.

    • Heaven – novel

      Litera International, 2022.4.
      Translated by Iolanda Prodan.

  • Russian

    • Breasts and Eggs – novel (an expanded version of the original novella)

      Translation in progress.

  • Serbian

    • Grudi I Jaja(Breasts and Eggs) – novel

      Kontrast Publishing, 2021.
      Translated by Nikola Matić.

  • Slovene

    • Vsa Moja Poletja(Breasts and Eggs) – novel

      Beletrina, 2022.3.
      Translated by Domen Kavčič.

  • Slovak

    • Letný príbeh(Breasts and Eggs) – novel

      Ikar Bratislava, 2021.8.
      Translated by František Paulovič.

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Spanish

    • Senos y huevos(Breasts and Eggs) – novella + short story

      Sd Edicions, 2013.
      Translated by Fernando Cordobés González and Yoko Ogihara.

    • Pechos y huevos(Breasts and Eggs) – novel (an expanded version of the original novella)

      Editorial Planeta, 2021,9.
      Translated by Lourdes Porta.

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Swedish

    • Bröst och ägg. En Sommarberättelse(Breasts and Eggs) – novel

      Tranan, 2022.11.
      Translated by Yukiko Duke.

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

    • All the Lovers in the Night – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Thai

    • Breasts and Eggs – novel (an expanded version of the original novella)

      Translation in progress.

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Turkish

    • Breasts and Eggs – novel

      Dogan, 2022. 10.
      Translated by Ali Volkan Erdemir.

    • Heaven – novel

      Translation in progress.

  • Vietnamese

    • Ngực và Trứng (Breasts and Eggs) – novella

      Phương Đông, 2011.
      Translated by Song Tâm Quyên.

For inquiries or information, please contact:

　Amanda Urban　　　　　　　　amanda.urban@caa.com
　Amelia Atlas（for inquiries）　amelia.atlas@caa.com
　Claire Nozieres (for rights) 　 Claire.Nozieres@caa.com

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