Fables inspired by life in lockdown resonate with Japanese readers
Barry Yourgrau’s struggle to cope with life during the COVID-19 pandemic inspired a burst of creative writing, which culminated in a book of short stories that became a hit in Japan.
Literary magazine Monkey serves up a full meal of delights
Monkey’s inaugural volume features a who’s who of contemporary Japanese literature, with a food theme to tie the contributions together.
Motoyuki Shibata is always ready to listen to writers’ voices
The founder of the literary magazine Monkey says a translator’s first priority should be to honor the pleasure of reading.
Tokyo's literature festival resurfaces
The Tokyo International Literary Festival got off to a good start. Both the inaugural 2013 event and the 2014 edition were successful, an auspicious beginning to forging cultural and artistic connections between Eastern and Western writers on a global stage. But since the festival's ...
The 'dwarf' architect of Japan's literary boom
With a chuckle, translator and literary critic Motoyuki Shibata recalls the way author Steven Millhauser once described him. Monkey Business Vol. 5, Edited by Ted Goossen and Motoyuki Shibata. A Public Space, Journal. "(He) compared me with a dwarf who works while he's sleeping," Shibata says. "And ...
