is a Japanese

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire to ...

. He is the third son of literary critic Suekichi Aono. Aono was born in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

and studied

literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

Waseda University , abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902. The university has numerou ...

but left the university early to travel. After visiting Europe and Northern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, he returned to Japan in 1971, publishing his first work in the Waseda literary magazine. From 1972 to 1977 he travelled through Europe again. Upon his return to Japan, Aono became active in literary and critical writings. He currently lives in

and is a Professor of Literature at

Tama Art University or is a private art university located in Tokyo, Japan. It is known as one of the top art schools in Japan. History The forerunner of Tamabi was Tama Imperial Art School (多摩帝国美術学校, Tama Teikoku Bijutsu Gakkō) founded in 1935 ...

. Aono has translated works by

Charles Bukowski Henry Charles Bukowski ( ; born Heinrich Karl Bukowski, ; August 16, 1920 – March 9, 1994) was a German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer. His writing was influenced by the social, cultural, and economic ambience of his adopted ...

into Japanese.

Awards

*1979 -

Akutagawa Prize The is a Japanese literary award presented biannually. Because of its prestige and the considerable attention the winner receives from the media, it is, along with the Naoki Prize, one of Japan's most sought after literary prizes. History The ...

for ''"Gusha no yoru"'' (Night of the Fools). *1998 - Minister of Education Award for ''"Art for Ningen no itonami"'' (Human Conduct). *1991 -

Yomiuri Literary Prize The is a literary award in Japan. The prize was founded in 1949 by the Yomiuri Shinbun Company to help form a "strong cultural nation". The winner is awarded two million Japanese yen and an inkstone. Award categories For the first two years, ...

for ''Haha yo'' (O Mother).

References

External links

Virtual Writing University Interview (audio 28 minutes)So Aono
at J'Lit Books from Japan

at JLPP (Japanese Literature Publishing Project) 20th-century Japanese novelists 21st-century Japanese novelists Living people People from Tokyo Akutagawa Prize winners Yomiuri Prize winners 1943 births {{japan-writer-stub