While they are well known for their European fiction in translation, 2013 saw them branch out into J-Lit, and today's prizes come from that selection. Pushkin have generously offered four books, with worldwide postage for the winners - so let's see what you can win today...
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First up is Yasushi Inoue's Bullfight, a great novella about an attempt by a journalist to put on a bullfighting event in post-war Osaka. What initially seems like a crazy idea, gradually makes more and more sense, and people start to believe that the bulls will be fighting in the famous Kōshien baseball stadium. He'll build it, but will they come? I loved this (see my review here), and with more Inoue to come from Pushkin next year, this is a great chance to try his work.Of course, most of Pushkin's J-Lit output last year was by one man, J-Lit's enfant terrible, Ryu Murakami. Long overlooked in the Anglosphere, often in the shadow of a certain other Japanese writer, Pushkin's reissues have helped boost his profile again.
Coin Locker Babies is an explosive story of two boys abandoned shortly after their birth, and the revenge they take on a seedy, corrupt society. We get to see a shadowy side of Tokyo and explore the downside of fame. And the ending, well... (see my review here).Where Coin Locker Babies is dark and brooding, Popular Hits of the Showa Era is simply nuts. Karaoke, gangs, losers, friendship and anti-tank missiles - what's not to like? My review is here...
The last book today brings a slight change of pace. Sixty-Nine is a coming-of-age story with the usual R. Murakami touch. A small-town boy dreams big, planning to stage a concert and get the girl of his dreams - find out if he suceeds :) My review is here...
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So, if you'd like to win one of these books, simply comment below, leaving your name, an e-mail address and the name of the book you'd like to win. There's no need to follow me, either here, on Facebook or on Twitter (unless you want to, of course!) - anyone can enter, and everyone has an equal chance of winning :)
Entries will close at 8 p.m. (AEST) on Thursday, January the 16th (that's 9 a.m. on Thursday, London time), and the winners will be announced in the next Golden Kin-Yōbi post (the winners, naturally, will be chosen using some kind of random on-line draw thingy). So, what are you waiting for? Get commenting, and good luck!
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And, of course, we need to announce the winners of last week's prizes!
A copy of Tomoyuki Hoshino's We, the Children of Cats goes to Josh
A copy of Hoshino's Lonely Hearts Killer goes to Carola
I will be in contact with the winners shortly - thanks again to PM Press for the great prizes :)
