Ao Omae

Ao Omae (大前 粟生, Ōmae Ao, born 1992) is a Japanese fiction writer. Born in Hyōgo Prefecture,^[1] he lived in Kyoto until 2022, when he relocated to Tokyo.

Ao Omae 大前　粟生
Born	(1992-11-28) November 28, 1992 (age 31) Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan
Occupation	Writer
Nationality	Japanese
Genre	short story flash fiction
Subject	Gender
Notable works	Nuigurumi to shaberu hito wa yasashii Kaitengusa

Writing career

Omae made his debut in 2016 with the short story "Kanojo wo basutabu ni irete moyasu" (彼女をバスタブにいれて燃やす), which was ranked first place in an open call for stories organized by Granta Japan with Waseda Bungaku [ja]. His story "Yuki no ijō na taishitsu mata wa boku wa dore hodo okane ga hoshii ka" (ユキの異常な体質 または僕はどれほどお金がほしいか) won the second Book Shorts Award and was subsequently made into a short film of the same name, given the English title "Ms. Strangedisposition or: How I Desire to Be Rich." For the story "Bunchō" (文鳥), he was awarded Grand Prize in the "at home AWARDs."

Omae made his English-language debut with "Beam," translated by Emily Balistrieri for Electric Lit.^[2] Omae's work is known for being "gender-conscious"^[3] and often considers the effects of social alienation^[4] and the nature of masculinity.^[5] The titular novella of the fiction collection Nuigurumi to shaberu hito wa yasashii (ぬいぐるみとしゃべる人はやさしい) was adapted for film and released internationally under the title People Who Talk to Plushies Are Kind.^[6] In June 2023, the collection was published in an English translation by Emily Balistrieri under the title People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Nice.^[7]

Selected works

Story collections

• Kaitengusa (回転草) Shoshikankanbou, 2017
• Watashi to wani to imōto no heya (私と鰐と妹の部屋) Shoshikankanbou, 2019
• Nuigurumi to shaberu hito wa yasashii (ぬいぐるみとしゃべる人はやさしい) Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2020

Novels

• Omoroi igai iran nen (おもろい以外いらんねん) Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2021
• Shindeiru watashi to, watashi mitai na hito tachi no koe (死んでいる私と、私みたいな人たちの声) Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2022
• Kimi da kara sabisii (きみだからさびしい) Bungeishunjū, 2022

Translations

• "Beam." Translated by Emily Balistrieri. Electric Lit. September 2020.
• "Bath Towel Visuals." Translated by Emily Balistrieri. The Southern Review. Summer 2021.
• People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Nice. Translated by Emily Balistrieri. HarperCollins. June 2023.

References

1. Hasada, Yoko (10 April 2023). "Eiga "nuigurumi to shaberu hito wa yasashī" ni kometa omoi kantoku kaneko yukari Rina × gensaku Ōmae Aou taidan — zenpen"" 映画『ぬいぐるみとしゃべる人はやさしい』に込めた想い　監督・金子由里奈 × 原作・大前粟生 対談—前編 [The thinking behind the film People who talk to stuffed animals are kind: A dialogue between director Yurina Kaneko and author Ao Omae - Part 1]. TOKION (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 29 June 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
2. Omae, Ao (10 August 2020). "Beam". Electric Lit. Translated by Balistrieri, Emily. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
3. "Contributors: Ao Omae". Electric Lit. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022.
4. Margolis, Eric (10 June 2023). "Ao Omae confronts identities and alienation of modern youth". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 11 June 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
5. Natsuki, Shiho (12 August 2022). "Chūmoku no kiei sakka ga egaita ikari no yūrei hīrō shōsetsu Shinde iru watashi to, watashi mitai na hito tachi no koe Ōmae Aou" 注目の気鋭作家が描いた怒りの幽霊ヒーロー小説　『死んでいる私と、私みたいな人たちの声』大前粟生 [Up-and-coming writer Ao Omae's vengeful ghost novel]. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 20 October 2022. 大前粟生氏が過去作『ぬいぐるみとしゃべる人はやさしい』で、男性性への徹底的な自問をしたように [Ao Omae interrogates masculinity, like in his previous collection Nuigurumi to shaberu hito wa yasashii]
6. "People Who Talk to Plushies Are Kind August 5, 2023". Japan Society. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
7. "PEOPLE WHO TALK TO STUFFED ANIMALS ARE NICE: Nuanced and moving explorations of the intricacies of interpersonal relationships". Kirkus. 24 April 2023. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.

External links

• The Southern Review Contributors: Ao Omae
• "Interview with Ao Omae" Book Shorts (Japanese)
• "Special Interview with Ao Omae" Mitsumura-Tosho (Japanese)
• "Bunchō" (full text) at home AWARD (Japanese)