Moving, funny, poetic, Banana YOSHIMOTO’s novels are very popular in Japan and have charmed the rest of the world. She got famous at 23 with Kitchen, published in 1987. Million of copies have been sold in Japan and worldwide. Other titles followed, such as Hardboiled & Hard Luck, Lizard, Goodbye Tsugumi or N.P..

Her real name being Mahoko YOSHIMOTO, Banana chose her weird pen name because she likes banana flowers and because it’s a cute and androgynous name.

She speaks about her novels and short stories as describing the weariness of young people in today’s Japan and the way hard times shape our lives. Banana YOSHIMOTO’s work is full of endearing characters who evolve in a hard world, facing loss and grief, but also a moving and dreamy world in which life finally takes over.

Today, Banana YOSHIMOTO has settled in Japanese contemporary literature. She has won many prizes in Japan but also in Italy, and her novel The Lake (translated in English) has been announced yesterday as shortlisted for The Man Asian Literary Prize. Since 2007, this prize rewards a novel by an Asian writer every year, written or translated in English. You’ll have to wait a little while to know the result which is to be revealed on March 15.