NISHI K

GUEST AUTHORANAKONISHI Kanako (1977–) was born in Tehran, Iran, where her family had relocated for her father’s job. She
subsequently lived in Japan for several years before moving with her family to Cairo, Egypt, where she spent
four of her elementary school years. The male protagonist’s early life in her novel Saraba! (So Long!) roughlyparallels her own. At 25 she began writing fiction, and made her literary debut in 2004 with the short story
collection Aoi (Blue). In 2006 she won the Oda Sakunosuke Prize for her novel Tsūtenkaku (Tower to Heaven),
and in 2012 she received the Kawai Hayao Prize for the novel Fukuwarai (Funny Face). Her monumental 2014
novel Saraba!, in which the action roves across all of the places where she has lived, from Iran to Egypt andOsaka to Tokyo, garnered her the prestigious Naoki Prize. Nishi’s forthright portrayals of the alienation
experienced by characters with strong personalities have gained her a wide following, especially among young
readers. She is also known as an avid fan of professional wrestling.

WORKS BY NISHI KANAKO @ THE JAPAN FOUNDATION, TORONTO
TITLE

Item ID

Call Number

Butai 舞台
Chodo ii kigire ちょうどいい木切れ

00026814 BUN 895.636 N57 B87 2017
00023802895.63608 B86 2013

Fukuwarai ふくわらいGyoko no nikukochan 漁港の肉子ちゃん
Kankokujin no onna no ko 韓国人の女の子

00025286

BUN 895.636 N57 2015

Kiiroi zo きいろいゾウ
Mado no sakana 窓の魚00027495 BUN 895.636 N57 K54 2008

*Included in anthology Bungaku 2013 文学 2013

*Included in anthology Bungaku 2020 文学 2020

Omajinai おまじない
Saraba! : jo & ge

サラバ! 上 & 下Tsutenkaku 通天閣
Utsukushii hito うつくしい人Burn *Included in anthology Freeman’s: Power00027520 BUN 895.636 N57 G96 2014
00027372
00026327

895.63608 B86 2020
BUN 895.636 N57 2011

*Ebook available on JF OverDrive:
jf.overdrive.com/media/9506733

00024312
00024313

895.636 N57 2014

*Ebook available on JF OverDrive:
jf.overdrive.com/media/9506237

00026820 BUN 895.636 N57 U87 2011
*Ebook available on JF OverDrive:
jf.overdrive.com/media/4328427

WORKS BY NISHI KANAKO AVAILABLE ONLINE• “Fear of Manners.” Translated by Allison Markin Powell, Words Without Borders, 2017,https://wordswithoutborders.org/read/article/2017-05/may-2017-food-fear-of-manners-kanako-nishi-allisonpowell/.

• “In the Age of Endless Scrolling, Jun'ichiro Tanizaki Helps Us Stand Still.” Translated by Allison Markin
Powell, Literary Hub, 2019, https://lithub.com/in-the-age-of-endless-scrolling-junichiro-tanizaki-helps-usstand-still/.

• “Merry Christmas.” Translated by Allison Markin Powell, Fifty Storms, 2015, https://fiftystorms.org/merrychristmas-by-kanako-nishi.

• “On Beauty, Sexual Violence, and Toni Morrison's the Bluest Eye.” Translated by Allison Markin Powell,
Literary Hub, 2020, https://lithub.com/on-beauty-sexual-violence-and-toni-morrisons-the-bluest-eye/.
• “VIO.” Translated by Allison Markin Powell, Granta, 2020, https://granta.com/vio/.

EVENT INFO• JFT Book Club Online: Three Short Works by NISHI Kanako – On beauty, the Female Experience & Othering –Wednesday, February 8 @ 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm*Check discussion questions to guide your reading: https://jftor.org/event/jft-book-club-nishikanako/• Transcending Borders: Author NISHI Kanako in conversation with Dr. Christina Laffin
Friday, March 10 – Sunday, March 19
YouTube @JFToronto*Check the website for details: https://jftor.org/event/nishi-kanako-interview/• Online Film Screening of Makuko *A live-action film based on NISHI Kanako’s novel Makuko (まく子)
Friday, March 17 – Sunday, March 19*Check the website for details: https://jftor.org/event/nishi-film/