Yōko Tawada
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Yōko Tawada (多和田葉子 ''Tawada Yōko'', born March 23, 1960) is a Japanese writer currently living in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, Germany. She writes in both Japanese and German. She is a former writer-in-residence at
MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...
and
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
. Tawada has won numerous literary awards, including the
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 Th ...
, the
Tanizaki Prize The Tanizaki Prize (谷崎潤一郎賞 ''Tanizaki Jun'ichirō Shō''), named in honor of the Japanese novelist Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, is one of Japan's most sought-after literary awards. It was established in 1965 by the publishing company Chūō K ...
, the
Noma Literary Prize The Noma Literary Prize (''Noma Bungei Shō'') was established in 1941 by the Noma Service Association (''Noma Hōkō Kai'') in accordance with the last wishes of Seiji Noma (1878–1938), founder and first president of the Kodansha publishing c ...
, the
Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature (, ''Izumi Kyōka Bungaku Shō'') is a prize for literature in Japan named for Kyōka Izumi. It was established and started in 1973 to commemorate the 100th year since the birth of Kyōka Izumi. Kanazawa city, w ...
, the Gunzo Prize for New Writers, the
Goethe Medal The Goethe Medal, also known as the Goethe-Medaille, is a yearly prize given by the Goethe-Institut honoring non-Germans "who have performed outstanding service for the German language and for international cultural relations". It is an offici ...
, the Kleist Prize, and a
National Book Award The National Book Awards (NBA) are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. ...
.


Early life and education

Tawada was born in
Nakano, Tokyo Nakano (, Latn, ja, Nakano-ku) is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in the Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is Nakano City (, Latn, ja, Nakano-ku).
. Her father was a translator and
bookseller Bookselling is the commercial trading of books, which is the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers, bookdealers, book people, bookmen, or bookwomen. History The foundi ...
. She attended Tokyo Metropolitan Tachikawa High School. In 1979, at the age of 19, Tawada took the
Trans-Siberian Railway The Trans-Siberian Railway, historically known as the Great Siberian Route and often shortened to Transsib, is a large railway system that connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over , it is the longest railway ...
to visit Germany. She received her undergraduate education at
Waseda University Waseda University (Japanese: ), abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the fifth Prime Minister of Japan, prime ministe ...
in 1982 with a major in Russian literature, and upon graduation moved to
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
, Germany, where she started working with one of her father's business partners in a book distribution business. She left the business to study at
Hamburg University The University of Hamburg (, also referred to as UHH) is a public research university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by combining the previous General Lecture System ('' Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen''), the Hamburg Colon ...
, and in 1990 she received a master's degree in contemporary German literature. In 2000 she received her doctorate in German literature from the
University of Zurich The University of Zurich (UZH, ) is a public university, public research university in Zurich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of the ...
, where Sigrid Weigel, her thesis advisor, had been appointed to the faculty. In 2006 Tawada moved to
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, where she currently resides.


Career

Tawada's writing career began in 1987 with the publication of ''Nur da wo du bist da ist nichts—Anata no iru tokoro dake nani mo nai'' (''Nothing Only Where You Are''), a collection of poems released in a German and Japanese
bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. When the languages are just two, it is usually called bilingualism. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolin ...
edition. Her first novella, titled ''Kakato o nakushite'' (''Missing Heels''), received the Gunzo Prize for New Writers in 1991. In 1993 Tawada won the
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 Th ...
for her novella ''Inu muko iri'', which was published later that year with ''Kakato o nakushite'' and another story in the single volume ''Inu muko iri''. ''Arufabetto no kizuguchi'' also appeared in book form in 1993, and Tawada received her first major recognition outside of Japan by winning the Lessing Prize Scholarship. An English edition of the three-story collection ''Inu muko iri'', translated by Margaret Mitsutani, was published in 1998 but was not commercially successful.
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
reissued the Mitsutani translation of the single
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 Th ...
-winning novella in 2012 under the title ''The Bridegroom Was a Dog.'' Several other books followed, including ''Seijo densetsu'' (''Legend of a Saint'') in 1996 and ''Futakuchi otoko'' (''The Man With Two Mouths'') in 1998. Portions of these books were translated into English by Margaret Mitsutani and collected in a 2009 book titled ''Facing the Bridge''. Tawada won the 1996 Adelbert von Chamisso Prize, a German literary award for non-native speakers of German. In 1997 she was writer in residence at Villa Aurora, and in 1999 she spent four months as the Max Kade Foundation Distinguished Writer-in-Residence at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
. She won the
Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature (, ''Izumi Kyōka Bungaku Shō'') is a prize for literature in Japan named for Kyōka Izumi. It was established and started in 1973 to commemorate the 100th year since the birth of Kyōka Izumi. Kanazawa city, w ...
for her 2000 book ''Hinagiku no ocha no baai'', and both the Sei Ito Literature Prize and the
Tanizaki Prize The Tanizaki Prize (谷崎潤一郎賞 ''Tanizaki Jun'ichirō Shō''), named in honor of the Japanese novelist Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, is one of Japan's most sought-after literary awards. It was established in 1965 by the publishing company Chūō K ...
in 2003 for ''Yogisha no yako ressha'' (''Suspects on the Night Train''). Tawada took a bilingual approach to her 2004 novel ''Das nackte Auge'', writing first in German, then in Japanese, and finally producing separate German and Japanese manuscripts. The novel follows a Vietnamese girl who was kidnapped at a young age while in Germany for a youth conference. An English version, translated from the German manuscript by Susan Bernofsky, was published by
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
in 2009 under the title ''The Naked Eye''. In 2005, Tawada won the prestigious
Goethe Medal The Goethe Medal, also known as the Goethe-Medaille, is a yearly prize given by the Goethe-Institut honoring non-Germans "who have performed outstanding service for the German language and for international cultural relations". It is an offici ...
from the
Goethe-Institut The Goethe-Institut (; GI, ''Goethe Institute'') is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit German culture, cultural organization operational worldwide with more than 150 cultural centres, promoting the study of the German language abroad and en ...
for meritorious contributions to German culture by a non-German. From January to February 2009, she was the Writer-in-Residence at the
Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages. In 2011, inspired by the story of the orphaned polar bear
Knut Knut ( Norwegian and Swedish), Knud ( Danish), or Knútur ( Icelandic) is a Scandinavian and German first name, of which the anglicised form is Canute. In Germany both "Knut" and "Knud" are used. In Spanish and Portuguese Canuto is used which ...
, Tawada wrote three interlocking short stories exploring the relationship between humans and animals from the perspective of three generations of captive
polar bears The polar bear (''Ursus maritimus'') is a large bear native to the Arctic and nearby areas. It is closely related to the brown bear, and the two species can interbreed. The polar bear is the largest extant species of bear and land carnivo ...
. As with previous work, she wrote separate manuscripts in Japanese and German. In 2011 the Japanese version, titled ''Yuki no renshūsei'', was published in Japan. It won the 2011
Noma Literary Prize The Noma Literary Prize (''Noma Bungei Shō'') was established in 1941 by the Noma Service Association (''Noma Hōkō Kai'') in accordance with the last wishes of Seiji Noma (1878–1938), founder and first president of the Kodansha publishing c ...
and the 2012 Yomiuri Prize. In 2014 the German version, titled ''Etüden im Schnee'', was published in Germany. An English edition of ''Etüden im Schnee'', translated by Susan Bernofsky, was published by
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
in 2016 under the title ''Memoirs of a Polar Bear''. It won the inaugural Warwick Prize for Women in Translation. Tawada won the 2013 Erlanger Prize for her work translating poetry between Japanese and German. In 2014 her novel ''Kentoshi'', a near-future dystopian story of a great-grandfather who grows stronger while his great-grandson grows weaker, was published in Japan. An English version, translated by Margaret Mitsutani, was published in the US by
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
in 2018 under the title ''The Emissary.'' and as ''
The Last Children of Tokyo ''The Last Children of Tokyo'', originally published in Japanese as , is a 2014 science fiction novel by Yoko Tawada. The English version, translated by Margaret Mitsutani, was published in the UK in 2018. It was published in the US as ''The Em ...
'' by Portobello Books/
Granta Books ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story's supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make ...
in the UK. In 2016 she received the Kleist Prize, and in 2018 she was awarded the Carl Zuckmayer Medal for services to the German language. Also in 2018, she received the National Book Award for Translated Literature (the inaugural year of that award) for her novel ''The Emissary'', translated by Margaret Mitsutani. In 2022, her novel ''Scattered All Over the Earth'', also translated by Mitsutani, was a National Book Award for Translated Literature finalist.


Writing style

Tawada writes in Japanese and German. Scholars of her work have adopted her use of the term exophony to describe the condition of writing in a non-native language. Early in her career Tawada enlisted the help of a translator to produce German editions of her Japanese manuscripts, but later she simultaneously generated separate manuscripts in each language through a process she calls "continuous translation." Over time her work has diverged by genre as well as language, with Tawada tending to write longer works such as plays and novels in Japanese, and shorter works such as
short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...
and essays in German. She also tends to create more
neologisms In linguistics, a neologism (; also known as a coinage) is any newly formed word, term, or phrase that has achieved popular or institutional recognition and is becoming accepted into mainstream language. Most definitively, a word can be considered ...
when writing in German than when writing in Japanese. Tawada's writing highlights the strangeness of one language, or particular words in one language, when seen from the perspective of someone who speaks another language. Her writing uses unexpected words, alphabets, and ideograms to call attention to the need for translation in everyday life. She has said that language is not natural but rather "artificial and magical," and has encouraged translators of her work to replace word play in her manuscripts with new word play in their own languages. A common theme in Tawada's work is the relationship between words and reality, and in particular the possibility that differences in languages may make assimilation into a different culture impossible. For example, Tawada has suggested that a native Japanese speaker understands different words for "pencil" in German and Japanese as referring to two different objects, with the Japanese word referring to a familiar pencil and the German word referring to a pencil that is foreign and "other." However, her work also challenges the connection between national language and
nationalism Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...
, particularly the ''kokugo''/''
kokutai is a concept in the Japanese language translatable as "system of government", "sovereignty", "national identity, essence and character", "national polity; body politic; national entity; basis for the Emperor's sovereignty; Japanese constitut ...
'' relationship in
Japanese culture Japanese culture has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world. Since the Jomon period, ancestral ...
. Tawada's stories often involve traveling across boundaries. Her writing draws on Tawada's own experiences of traveling between countries and cultures, but it also explores more abstract boundaries, such as the boundary between waking life and dreams, between thoughts and emotions, or between the times before and after a disaster. For example, the main character in her short story "Bioskoop der Nacht" dreams in a language she does not speak, and must travel to another country to learn the language and understand her own dreams. Tawada's work also employs elements of
magical realism Magical realism, magic realism, or marvelous realism is a style or genre of fiction and art that presents a realistic view of the world while incorporating magical elements, often blurring the lines between speculation and reality. ''Magical rea ...
, such as the animal and plant
anthropomorphism Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...
in ''Memoirs of a Polar Bear'', in order to challenge otherwise familiar boundaries, such as the distinction between human and animal. Challenging boundaries is further explored in ''The Last Children of Tokyo'', in which the catastrophe against which the novel is set "reconnects humans with non-human agencies, questioning the very meaning of the exclusive concept of “human”. By imagining children as going back to an earlier stage rather than ever improving – a meandering that is reflected in the novel’s non-linear, associative narration – Tawada terminates their ties to futurity, and with it the capitalist myth of continuous progress." Tawada has cited
Paul Celan Paul Celan (; ; born Paul Antschel; 23 November 1920 – c. 20 April 1970) was a German-speaking Romanian poet, Holocaust survivor, and literary translation, literary translator. He adopted his pen name (an anagram of the Romanian spelling Ancel ...
and
Franz Kafka Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a novelist and writer from Prague who was Jewish, Austrian, and Czech and wrote in German. He is widely regarded as a major figure of 20th-century literature. His work fuses elements of Litera ...
as important literary influences.


Bibliography


Originally in Japanese

* ''Nur da wo du bist da ist nichts'' / ''Anata no iru tokoro dake nanimo nai'', 1987, Konkursbuch Verlag Claudia Gehrke, (bilingual edition) * ''Inu muko iri'', Kodansha, 1993, * ''Arufabetto no kizuguchi'', Kawade Shobō Shinsha, 1993, * ''Seijo densetsu'', Ōta Shuppan, 1996, * ''Futakuchi otoko'', Kawade Shobō Shinsha, 1998, * ''Hinagiku no ocha no baai'', Shinchōsha, 2000, * ''Yōgisha no yakō ressha'', Seidosha, 2002, * ''Yuki no renshūsei'', Shinchōsha, 2011, * ''Kentoshi'', Kodansha, 2014, (published in 2018 in English as ''
The Last Children of Tokyo ''The Last Children of Tokyo'', originally published in Japanese as , is a 2014 science fiction novel by Yoko Tawada. The English version, translated by Margaret Mitsutani, was published in the UK in 2018. It was published in the US as ''The Em ...
'' (UK) and ''The Emissary'' (US)) * ''Chikyū ni chiribamerarete'', 2018 (''Scattered All Over the Earth'') * ''Hoshi ni honomekasarete'', 2020 (''Suggested in the Stars'') * ''Ōkami ken'', with Ikuko Mizokami, Ronsosha, 2021, * ''Taiyō shotō'', 2022 (''Archipelago of the Sun'')


Originally in German

* ''Nur da wo du bist da ist nichts'' / ''Anata no iru tokoro dake nanimo nai'', 1987, Konkursbuch Verlag Claudia Gehrke, (bilingual edition) *''Opium für Ovid: Ein Kopfkissenbuch von 22 Frauen'', 2000, Konkursbuch Verlag Claudia Gehrke, * ''Das nackte Auge'', Konkursbuch Verlag Claudia Gehrke, 2004, * ''Etüden im Schnee'', Konkursbuch Verlag Claudia Gehrke, 2014, * ''Paul Celan und der chinesische Engel'', Konkursbuch Verlag Claudia Gehrke, 2020,


Book-length works translated to English

* ''Where Europe Begins'', translated by Susan Bernofsky and Yumi Selden,
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
, 2002, * ''The Bridegroom Was a Dog'' (''Inu muko iri'', 犬婿入り), translated by Margaret Mitsutani,
Kodansha is a Japanese privately held publishing company headquartered in Bunkyō, Tokyo. Kodansha publishes manga magazines which include ''Nakayoshi'', ''Morning (magazine), Morning'', ''Afternoon (magazine), Afternoon'', ''Evening (magazine), Eveni ...
, 2003, . This edition includes ''Missing Heels'' (''Kakato o nakushite''). * ''Facing the Bridge'', translated by Margaret Mitsutani,
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
, 2007, * ''The Naked Eye'', translated by Susan Bernofsky,
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
, 2009, * ''Yoko Tawada's Portrait of a Tongue: An Experimental Translation by Chantal Wright'', University of Ottawa Press, 2013, * ''Memoirs of a Polar Bear'', translated by Susan Bernofsky,
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
, 2016, * ''
The Last Children of Tokyo ''The Last Children of Tokyo'', originally published in Japanese as , is a 2014 science fiction novel by Yoko Tawada. The English version, translated by Margaret Mitsutani, was published in the UK in 2018. It was published in the US as ''The Em ...
'' (UK) / ''The Emissary'' (US), translated by Margaret Mitsutani,
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
, 2018, *''Opium for Ovid (Limited Edition)'', translated by Kenji Hayakawa, Stereoeditions, 2018 – ongoing. Collection of 22 separate books. *''Scattered All Over the Earth'', translated by Margaret Mitsutani,
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
, 2022, *''Three Streets'', translated by Margaret Mitsutani,
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
, 2022, *''Paul Celan and the Trans-Tibetan Angel'' (US) / ''Spontaneous Acts'' (UK), translated by Susan Bernofsky,
New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin (1914–1997) and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions ...
/ Dialogue Books, 2024, (US) / (UK) *''Suggested in the Stars'', translated by Margaret Mitsutani, New Directions Publishing, 2024 *''Archipelago of the Sun'', translated by Margaret Mitsutani, New Directions Publishing, 2025


Selected shorter works translated to English

* "Hair Tax," translated by Susan Bernofsky, ''Words Without Borders'', April 2005 issue * "Celan Reads Japanese", translated by Susan Bernofsky, ''The White Review'', March 2013 * "The Far Shore", translated by Jeffrey Angles, ''Words Without Borders'', March 2015 issue * "To Zagreb", translated by Margaret Mitsutani, ''
Granta ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story's supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make ...
'' 131, 2015 * "Memoirs of a Polar Bear", translated by Susan Bernofsky, ''
Granta ''Granta'' is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centres on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story's supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make ...
'' 136, 2016 * "Time Differences", translated by Jeffrey Angles, Strangers Press, 2017,


Recognition

* 1991 Gunzo Prize for New Writers * 1993
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 Th ...
for ''The Bridegroom Was a Dog'' (''Inu muko iri'', 犬婿入り) * 1993 Lessing Prize Scholarship * 1996 Adelbert von Chamisso Prize * 2000
Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature Izumi Kyōka Prize for Literature (, ''Izumi Kyōka Bungaku Shō'') is a prize for literature in Japan named for Kyōka Izumi. It was established and started in 1973 to commemorate the 100th year since the birth of Kyōka Izumi. Kanazawa city, w ...
* 2003 Sei Ito Literature Prize * 2003
Tanizaki Prize The Tanizaki Prize (谷崎潤一郎賞 ''Tanizaki Jun'ichirō Shō''), named in honor of the Japanese novelist Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, is one of Japan's most sought-after literary awards. It was established in 1965 by the publishing company Chūō K ...
for ''Suspect on the Night Train'' (Yogisha no yako ressha, 容疑者の夜行列車) * 2005
Goethe Medal The Goethe Medal, also known as the Goethe-Medaille, is a yearly prize given by the Goethe-Institut honoring non-Germans "who have performed outstanding service for the German language and for international cultural relations". It is an offici ...
* 2011
Noma Literary Prize The Noma Literary Prize (''Noma Bungei Shō'') was established in 1941 by the Noma Service Association (''Noma Hōkō Kai'') in accordance with the last wishes of Seiji Noma (1878–1938), founder and first president of the Kodansha publishing c ...
* 2012 Yomiuri Prize * 2013 * 2016 Kleist Prize * 2017 Warwick Prize for Women in Translation (shared with translator Susan Bernofsky) * 2018 Carl Zuckmayer Medal * 2018
National Book Award The National Book Awards (NBA) are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. ...
for Translated Literature for '' The Emissary'' (shared with translator Margaret Mitsutani) * 2018 Japan Foundation Awards * 2019
Asahi Prize The , established in 1929, is an award presented by the Japanese newspaper ''Asahi Shimbun'' and Asahi Shimbun Foundation to honor individuals and groups that have made outstanding accomplishments in the fields of arts and academics and have greatl ...
* 2020 Medal with Purple Ribbon * 2022 Honorary doctorate,
SOAS University of London The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...
* 2023 Prix Fragonard for '' The Emissary'' (shared with the book's French translator, Dominique Palmé) * 2023 Mainichi Publishing Culture Award * 2024 Prize of the Japanese Academy of Arts * 2024 Named a member of
Academy of Arts, Berlin The Academy of Arts () is a state arts institution in Berlin, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the states of Germany. The academy's predecessor organization was founded in 1696 by Elector F ...


Further reading

* Bettina Brandt, "Scattered Leaves: Artist Books and Migration, a Conversation with Yoko Tawada", ''Comparative Literature Studies'', 45/1 (2008) 12–22 * Bettina Brandt, "Ein Wort, ein Ort, or How Words Create Places: Interview with Yoko Tawada", ''Women in German Yearbook'', 21 (2005), 1–15 * Maria S. Grewe, ''Estranging Poetic: On the Poetic of the Foreign in Select Works by Herta Müller and Yoko Tawada'', Columbia University, New York 2009 * Ruth Kersting, ''Fremdes Schreiben: Yoko Tawada'', Trier 2006 * Christina Kraenzle, ''Mobility, space and subjectivity: Yoko Tawada and German-language transnational literature'', University of Toronto (2004) * Petra Leitmeir, ''Sprache, Bewegung und Fremde im deutschsprachigen Werk von Yoko Tawada'', Freie Universität Berlin (2007) * Douglas Slaymaker (Ed.): ''Yoko Tawada: Voices from Everywhere'', Lexington Books (2007) * Caroline Rupprecht, ‘Writing Emptiness: Yoko Tawada’s The Bath, The Naked Eye, and Flucht des Mondes,’ Asian Fusion: New Encounters in the Asian German Avant-garde, 2020. 55-78. * Caroline Rupprecht, ‘Haunted Spaces: History and Architecture in Yoko Tawada’ South Central Review 33:3 (2016)111-126. * Caroline Rupprecht, ‘Co pani robi w Niemzcech? Yoko Tawada & Emine Sevgi Ozdamar’ Tygiel Kultury, 7-9 (Łódź, 2005) 124-128.


References


External links


Yoko Tawada
at J'Lit Books from Japan

at JLPP (Japanese Literature Publishing Project)
Yoko Tawada
at New Directions Books {{DEFAULTSORT:Tawada, Yoko 1960 births Living people People from Nakano, Tokyo Exophonic writers Akutagawa Prize winners Yomiuri Prize winners Waseda University alumni University of Hamburg alumni University of Zurich alumni 20th-century Japanese novelists 20th-century Japanese women writers 21st-century Japanese novelists 21st-century Japanese women writers Japanese women novelists Writers from Tokyo Japanese expatriates in Germany Japanese women science fiction and fantasy writers