Yuka Ishii

Yuka Ishii (石井 遊佳, Ishii Yūka, born 1963) is a Japanese writer. Her book Hyakunen doro (100 Years Mud) won the 154th Akutagawa Prize and the 49th Shincho Prize for New Writers.

Yuka Ishii
Native name	石井 遊佳
Born	1963 (age 61–62) Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Occupation	Writer
Language	Japanese
Education	Waseda University University of Tokyo
Genre	Fiction
Notable works	Hyakunen doro
Notable awards	Akutagawa Prize Shincho Prize for New Writers

Biography

Ishii was born in Hirakata, Osaka and lived there during her early school years.^[1][2] She later moved to Tokyo, where she graduated from Waseda University and worked at a variety of part-time jobs, including department store salesperson and snack hostess, while writing stories in her free time.^[3][4] After almost winning a literary prize at age 33 she moved back to her parents' home in Osaka to try writing full-time.^[4] In 2000 Ishii returned to Tokyo to pursue graduate study in Buddhism at the University of Tokyo.^[5]

In 2014 Ishii moved to Chennai, India, where her husband worked as a Sanskrit language researcher, and she started working as a Japanese language teacher.^[6] She made her literary debut at age 54 with her novel Hyakunen doro, about the aftermath of a once-in-a-century flood.^[7] The story was based on her experiences in Chennai during the 2015 South Indian floods.^[8] Hyakunen doro won the 49th Shincho Prize for New Writers.^[9] It also won the 158th Akutagawa Prize, which she shared with Chisako Wakatake.^[10]

Hyakunen doro was published in English by Sydney-based publisher Gazebo Books in a translation by Haydn Trowell as The Mud of a Century.

She has named Gabriel García Márquez and Yukio Mishima as two of her favorite authors.^[6]

Recognition

• 2017: 49th Shincho Prize for New Writers^[6]
• 2018: 158th Akutagawa Prize (2017下)^[11]

Works

• Hyakunen doro, Shinchosha, 2018, ISBN 9784103515319

References

1. "芥川賞、初候補で栄冠 石井遊佳さんと若竹千佐子さん 直木賞は門井慶喜さん". Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). January 17, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
2. 光墨, 祥吾 (March 3, 2018). "大阪）芥川賞の石井遊佳さん、出身地の枚方市役所を訪問". Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved July 9, 2018.
3. "本学部出身の石井遊佳さんが芥川賞を受賞されました" (in Japanese). Waseda University. January 22, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
4. "「何で私がインド住まなあかんねん！」投稿生活から芥川賞作家に…石井遊佳さんの数奇な人生". Hochi Sports (in Japanese). March 20, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
5. "本研究科ご出身の石井遊佳さんが芥川賞を受賞されました" (in Japanese). University of Tokyo. January 18, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
6. "第49回新潮新人賞 受賞者インタビュー". Shincho (in Japanese). Shinchosha. November 1, 2017. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
7. "第１５８回芥川賞は石井遊佳さん「百年泥」、若竹千佐子さん「おらおらでひとりいぐも」 直木賞は門井慶喜さん「銀河鉄道の父」". Sankei News (in Japanese). January 16, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
8. 山田, 洋介. "ベストセラーズインタビュー第95回『百年泥』著者・石井遊佳さん". 新刊JP (in Japanese). Retrieved July 9, 2018.
9. "芥川賞に若竹千佐子さんと石井遊佳さん 直木賞に門井慶喜さん". Tokyo Shimbun (in Japanese). January 17, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
10. "Chisako Wakatake and Yuka Ishii win Akutagawa literary award; Yoshinobu Kadoi bags Naoki Prize". The Japan Times. January 17, 2018. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
11. "芥川賞受賞者一覧" (in Japanese). 日本文学振興会. January 1, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2018.