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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 31 auguSt 2019
Women, late-in-life new authors expand Japanese literature

TOKYO (AP) — The works re- for novels in translation,
ceiving one of Japan's most experts say. Translations of
coveted literary awards, half a dozen prize-winning
the Naoki Prize, have some- works by female authors
thing new in common: For from Japan were pub-
the first time in 85 years, all lished last year in the United
six of the nominated au- States, with Yoko Tawada's
thors are women. "The Emissary" taking a 2018
Japan is home to what National Book Award for
many consider the world's translated work.
first novel, "The Tale of Gen- "The number of new voic-
ji," written in the 11th cen- es that have been made
tury by noblewoman Mu- available to Anglophone
rasaki Shikibu. Its modern readers over the last few
fiction has been defined years has been encourag-
mostly by long-established ing," said David Karashima,
male writers such as past a professor at Waseda Uni-
Nobel laureates Kenzaburo versity who has translated
Oe and Yasunari Kawaba- Akutagawa-winning fic-
ta. And for decades it has tion.
been dominated by Haruki Karashima said there are
Murakami, whose surreal still not as many women
blend of magical realism In this July 17, 2019, photo, Natsuko Imamura, right, and Masumi Oshima pose with their books published in Japan as men,
and pop culture has made after Imamura and Oshima were awarded the Akutagawa and Naoki Prizes at a Tokyo hotel. but this may be changing,
him an international best- Associated Press in part because there are
seller. more women on selec-
But Japanese literature is their winners with a com- the Akutagawa Prize that "International markets grow tion committees for literary
beginning to look different memorative watch and 1 year. Murata, then 36, and when talent emerges," said prizes. He added that trans-
as new voices, including million yen (a little under still working part-time at a John Freeman, who pub- lated Japanese fiction is
young writers, women and $10,000). Even more valu- convenience store, shared lished work from Murata itself going through a "mini-
the elderly, receive domes- able is the prestige its win- the stage with actress and Murakami as editor of boom."
tic and international recog- ners receive from media Naomi Watanabe, known the anthology "Freeman's." "Outside of Japan, over the
nition. attention and, increasingly, as "the Japanese Beyon- ''In the past two and a half last five years or so, there
On Friday, two women, Nat- a clear path to wider audi- cé," as one of Vogue Ja- decades, there's been an seems to be a great thirst
suko Imamura and Masumi ences through translation. pan's "Women of the Year." explosion of good writing for fiction by Japanese
Oshima, are being present- Consider, for instance, the Two years later, the Eng- coming from Japan. ... That women writers," Karashima
ed with the Akutagawa 2016 rise of "Convenience lish translation of Murata's wave is cresting now with said.
and Naoki prizes. Since Store Woman." Writer Say- novel was an editor's best- writers just barely 40 years And there's evidence of a
1935 the Akutagawa and aka Murata's novel inspired of-the-year choice by the old." demand in Japan for sto-
Naoki have recognized se- by her own jobs has sold New Yorker, the magazine Publishers in the United ries that look different from
rious and popular fiction, more than 600,000 cop- that helped catapult Mu- States and Britain are see- those mostly produced by
respectively, and provided ies in Japan since it won rakami to stardom. ing a growing audience men in the past. q

Kristen Stewart wants to elevate Jean Seberg beyond haircut

By LINDSEY BAHR berg," which premiered by actor Anthony Mackie.
VENICE, Italy (AP) — Kristen Friday at the 76th Venice Andrews' goal was for the
Stewart only knew Jean Se- Film Festival on the 40th an- audience to "get to know
berg as an image. niversary of her death. her through the gaze of the
The picture of the waif with "Dismantling that (image) FBI." It co-stars Zazie Beetz
the pixie haircut and the and seeing the unravelling and Jack O'Connell and
New York Herald Tribune of a woman is such a cool will be released by Amazon
shirt embodied the effort- story to watch right now," Studios at an unspecified
less chic associated with Stewart said in a news date.
the ingénues of the French conference. "To sacrifice "Seberg," which will also be
New Wave. But behind the something you really love making a stop at the To-
haircut and her improb- for other people is a really ronto International Film Fes-
able ascent from obscurity admirable thing to see." tival next week, marks the
to Hollywood stardom at She described Seberg's sto- beginning of a busy stretch
age 17, there was a wom- ry as "tragic for all the right for Stewart, who after years
an who was a passionate reasons" and her subject as Actress Kristen Stewart poses for photographers at the photo of favoring smaller indies,
advocate for civil rights, a "compassionate humani- call for the film 'Seberg' at the 76th edition of the Venice Film has two bigger budget en-
surveilled by the FBI for tarian in a time when peo- Festival in Venice, Italy, Friday, Aug. 30, 2019. deavors coming soon to
years, driven to madness ple didn't want to stomach Associated Press theaters: "Charlie's Angels,"
and who died well before that." on Nov. 15, and "Underwa-
her time. "We should definitely know described the film as an works for over 15 years, ex- ter," on Jan. 9.
It was a story that Stewart her for more than the short "American tragedy of a plores the FBI's surveillance When asked if she was
was keen to learn about haircut," Stewart said. luminous life destroyed by program targeting Seberg more ready for fame than
and share with the world Director Benedict An- an oppressive surveillance in the late 1960s for her as- she was after "Twilight,"
in with her portrayal of the drews had a similar rev- story." sociation with civil rights ac- Stewart responded: "I'm
"Breathless" actress in "Se- elation about Seberg and "Seberg," which was in the tivist Hakim Jamal, played ready for all of it."q