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Natsuko Imamura, author portrait
© Tetsuya Higashikawa, Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc

Natsuko Imamura

Natsuko Imamura is one of Japan’s most exciting women writers. Nominated three times for the Akutagawa Prize, the most prestigious literary award in Japan, she won it in 2019 for The Woman in the Purple Skirt. A self-professed fan of Yoko Ogawa’s, she has been called “a second Sayaka Murata” (the author of Convenience Store Woman) for her use of acerbic humor and satire. Born in Hiroshima, she now lives in Osaka with her husband and their daughter. Like the main character in The Woman in the Purple Skirt, she has worked in a hotel as a housekeeper.
The Woman in the Purple Skirt

Books

The Woman in the Purple Skirt

Books That Are Perfect For International Womens Day

Yesterday was International Women’s Day, a critical time to honor the achievements, hardships, and power of women. We’re celebrating women with these seven nonfiction and fiction picks, all authored by women globally. Accessible to any reader, each of these titles delves into the complex facets and experiences of being a woman. Find our curated list

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