Two female novelists were selected Wednesday to receive Japan's prestigious Akutagawa and Naoki literary awards for works depicting a high school girl's obsession with a male idol and a poignant collection of stories set in old Japan.
Rin Usami won the Akutagawa Prize for up-and-coming authors, while Naka Saijo won the Naoki Prize for popular fiction, the selection committee said.
Usami, a 21-year-old university student, won for her novel "Oshi, Moyu" ("Cheer, Burn"), which depicts a high school girl's life falling apart after a male idol she has followed is involved in a scandal.