Akiko Itoyama

Akiko Itoyama (絲山 秋子, Itoyama Akiko, born in Setagaya, Tokyo on November 22, 1966, now living in Takasaki, Gunma) is a Japanese novelist, who won the 134th Akutagawa Prize.

Biography

After graduation from Shinjuku High School and the Faculty of Political Science and Economics, Waseda University, she worked as a saleswoman for a major household equipment company and, as is common in Japanese corporate life, was transferred several times to various localities. Treatment for cyclic psychosis led to her writing.

Her works, which focus on human relations, have been nominated for and received literary awards. She was recipient of the 96th Bungakukai New Face Award and a nominee for the 129th Akutagawa Prize by her first volume, It's only talk, in 2003. After three consecutive nominations, she finally won the Akutagawa Prize January 2006. She has been praised for her ability to describe provincial scenery and represent regional accents and dialects, reflecting the characters' image, even though she was brought up in Tokyo. She explains that she learned them through repeated company transfers all over Japan.

A translation of her Waiting in the Offing (Oki de Matsu) appears in the March 2007 (online) edition of Words Without Borders. An English translation of It's Only Talk was published by The Japan Times in March 2009.

Works

• イッツ・オンリー・トーク It's only talk, won the 96th Bungakukai New Face Award, nominated for the 129th Akutagawa Prize. A film with the same title was created based on this novel. ISBN 4-16-322630-3
• 海の仙人 Umi no Sennin (Sea Hermit), nominated for the 130th Akutagawa Prize, also won the Minister of Education and Science's Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists, in book form. ISBN 4-10-466901-6
• 袋小路の男 Fukurokouji no Otoko (Man in the dead-end street), won the 30th Kawabata Yasunari Prize. ISBN 4-06-212618-4
• 勤労感謝の日 Kinrou Kansha no Hi (Labor Thanksgiving Day), nominated for the 131st Akutagawa Prize, included in the book 沖で待つ.
• 逃亡くそたわけ Toubou Kusotawake (Besotted fool runs away), nominated for the 133rd Naoki Prize and New Face Award of the 27th Noma Prize for Literature. ISBN 4-12-003614-6
• スモールトーク Smalltalk ISBN 4-544-04099-X
• ニート NEET, settles on the matter of NEET. ISBN 4-04-873643-4
• 沖で待つ Oki de Matsu (Waiting Offshore), won the 134th Akutagawa Prize. ISBN 4-16-324850-1