The Refugees’s Daughter by Takuji Ichikawa (translated by Emily Balistrieri) published 23 November 2019 by Red Circle Authors Limited.This is the question Takuji Ichikawa, one of Japan’s most imaginative and unusual authors, poses in The Refugees’ Daughter, a magical modern parable for our troubled times, which was published today, 23 November 2019, on Japan Labor Thanksgiving Day.
Ichikawa believes our world can and will change, but that it will not change by itself. He is on record saying that he asked himself: “how should authors deal with and respond to this? What should the role of a novel be in this era?” Part of his response, his personal call-to-action, is The Refugees’ Daughter.
The Refugees’ Daughter, is being published as part of Red Circle Minis, a series of short captivating books by Japan’s finest contemporary writers that brings the narratives and voices of Japan together as never before. Each book is a first edition written specifically for the series and is being published in English first.
Through a terrifying and dreamlike dystopia, a young girl is amongst those fleeing their homes and seeking safety and shelter from where she hope she will also be able to search of her fiancé.
From Ichikawa, a Japanese author whose books sell in the millions, comes a thought provoking piece which addresses themes of humanity, responsibility and the need to have a place to call home.
Exploring power, patriarchy, strength and freedom, this vision of a frighteningly familiar world asks vital questions.
Translated by Emily Balistrieri, The Refugees’ Daughter is a powerful, poignant and utterly relevant tale that will resound in the minds of everyone who has ever searched for hope.
The Refugees’s Daughter by Takuji Ichikawa (translated by Emily Balistrieri) published 23 November 2019 by Red Circle Authors LimitedTo order The Refugees’ Daughter please click here.
The Author:
Takuji Ichikawa is an author who ignores traditional boundaries, and is impossible to pigeonhole. One whose positive and fantastical narratives touch the soul through storytelling that not only ‘transforms and heals’, but also sells in the millions.
After initially publishing stories online, his second novel Ima Ai ni Yukimasu (Be With You), became a blockbuster, selling more than a million copies in Japan, putting Ichikawa on the Japanese literary map. The publication of Be With You sparked the imagination of others, leading to the creation of a Japanese film and two international remakes, a television drama and a manga.
Ichikawa’s works, which often depict love and loss, continue to resonate and be adapted for film. And he continues to consistently demonstrate that literature has and should have no borders.
Signed copy of The Refugees’s Daughter by Takuji Ichikawa (translated by Emily Balistrieri) published 23 November 2019 by Red Circle Authors LimitedThe Translator:
Emily Balistrieri is an American translator based in Tokyo. Published translations include Tomihiko Morimi’s The Night is Short; Walk on Girl; Ko Hiratori’s JR Haruis a Sex Worker in Another World; Carlo Zen’s The Saga of Tanya the Evil, and Kugane Murayama’s Overlord.
The Series:
What the reviewers are saying about Red Circle Minis:
‘Small books for big brains’
‘Beautiful pocket-sized slices of Japanese literature’
‘An incredible window into the zeitgeist of modern Japanese society’
Display of the first five books published in the series Red Circle Minis. Photograph: Red Circle Authors Limited
About Red Circle:Red Circle Authors Limited is a specialist publishing and communications company that conducts bespoke projects on behalf of a carefully selected and curated group of leading Japanese authors. Red Circle showcases Japan’s best creative writing. For more information on Red Circle, Japanese literature, and Red Circle authors please visit: www.redcircleauthors.com.-
About Takuji Ichikawa:Takuji Ichikawa is an author who ignores traditional boundaries, and is impossible to pigeonhole; whose positive fantastical narratives touch the soul through storytelling that not only 'transforms and heals', but also sells in the millions.
