Diary of a Void
A hilarious, feminist read from the new star of Japanese fiction
Published on 11. August 2022
224 pages
978-1-4735-9336-7 (ISBN)
Description
For the sake of women everywhere, Ms Shibata is going to pull off the mother of all deceptions...
'Incredibly thought-provoking... you'll love Yagi's writing' STYLIST
Ms Shibata refuses to clear away the coffee at work one day, because she's pregnant and can't bear the smell. The only thing is . . . Ms Shibata is not pregnant.
Being a mother-to-be isn't easy. Ms Shibata has a nine-month ruse to keep up. Before long, it becomes all-absorbing, and with the help of towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app that tracks every stage of her 'pregnancy', the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve.
Discover this prizewinning, thrillingly subversive new novel that's perfect for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Breasts and Eggs.
'A subversive, surreal read that will strike a cord' RED
'One of the most passionate cases I've ever read for female interiority, for women's creative pulse and rich inner life' NEW YORKER
Translated from the Japanese by David Boyd and Lucy North
'Incredibly thought-provoking... you'll love Yagi's writing' STYLIST
Ms Shibata refuses to clear away the coffee at work one day, because she's pregnant and can't bear the smell. The only thing is . . . Ms Shibata is not pregnant.
Being a mother-to-be isn't easy. Ms Shibata has a nine-month ruse to keep up. Before long, it becomes all-absorbing, and with the help of towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app that tracks every stage of her 'pregnancy', the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve.
Discover this prizewinning, thrillingly subversive new novel that's perfect for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Breasts and Eggs.
'A subversive, surreal read that will strike a cord' RED
'One of the most passionate cases I've ever read for female interiority, for women's creative pulse and rich inner life' NEW YORKER
Translated from the Japanese by David Boyd and Lucy North
Reviews / Votes
If you're in the mood for a matter-of-fact and incredibly thought-provoking read, you'll love Yagi's writing. * Stylist * The tension grows along with the comedic details. . . . Diary of a Void starts as stylish satire... but it becomes something even more profound. Always expect the unexpected when you're not expecting. -- Sloane Crosley * Departures * A subversive, surreal read that will strike a cord. * Red Magazine * One of the most passionate cases I've ever read for female interiority, for women's creative pulse and rich inner life. * The New Yorker * Endlessly strange, funny and meaningful... This book is a powerful exploration of what it means to be single and childless, and of the impact of work on our bodies and mental health * Good Housekeeping, *Books of the Year* * Yagi has a light touch for the endless ironies made possible by her premise. There is humor, but also the realization that the alienation of pregnancy and motherhood is no reprieve from the oppressive office culture that inspires Shibata's experiment. -- Lauren Oyler * New York Times Book Review * Delightful . . . Yagi's focus is on how acting pregnant reshapes Shibata's relationship to herself... Yet the book never idealizes pregnancy...We see the difficulty of being a woman with or without a child, and Yagi emphasizes how society makes both roles harder... If you've ever wanted to bite back at a nosy boss, a rude co-worker, an unfair assignment, or the endless list of shoulds we face, then maybe you'll find something to enjoy in Shibata's audacity too. -- Rowan Hisayo Buchanan * The Atlantic * One of the most intriguing new novels of the summer. * Independent * Shibata is a modern-day Bartleby. * The Baffler * Darkly funny and surprisingly tender. -- Kirsty Logan, author of THINGS WE SAY IN THE DARKMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Random House (Digital)
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
File size
2,01 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-4735-9336-7 (9781473593367)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Persons
Emi Yagi (Author)
Emi Yagi is an editor at a women's magazine in Japan. She was born in 1988 and lives in Tokyo. Her first novel and international cult hit, Diary of a Void, won the Osamu Dazai Prize, awarded annually to the best debut work of fiction.
Lucy North (Translator)
Lucy North is a British translator of Japanese fiction and non-fiction. Her translations include Toddler Hunting and Other Stories by Taeko Kono, The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura, and Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi. Her work has appeared in Granta, Words Without Borders and The Southern Review, and in several anthologies including The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature and Found in Translation: 100 of the Finest Short Stories Ever Translated.
David Boyd (Translator)
David Boyd is assistant professor of Japanese at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has translated fiction by Hiroko Oyamada and Hideo Furukawa, among others.
Emi Yagi is an editor at a women's magazine in Japan. She was born in 1988 and lives in Tokyo. Her first novel and international cult hit, Diary of a Void, won the Osamu Dazai Prize, awarded annually to the best debut work of fiction.
Lucy North (Translator)
Lucy North is a British translator of Japanese fiction and non-fiction. Her translations include Toddler Hunting and Other Stories by Taeko Kono, The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura, and Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi. Her work has appeared in Granta, Words Without Borders and The Southern Review, and in several anthologies including The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature and Found in Translation: 100 of the Finest Short Stories Ever Translated.
David Boyd (Translator)
David Boyd is assistant professor of Japanese at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has translated fiction by Hiroko Oyamada and Hideo Furukawa, among others.
