Awards

• Winner of Akutagawa Prize 2020 (Japan)
• Winner of Akutagawa Prize 2022 (Japan)

Overview

WINNER OF THE AKUTAGAWA PRIZE 'Usami so successfully depicts the consequences of pure obsession' - Guardian 'Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what it is like to be a teenage girl' - Catherine Prasifka High-school student Akari has only one passion in her life: her oshi, her idol. His name is Masaki Ueno, best known as one-fifth of Japanese pop group Maza Maza. Akari's dedication to her oshi consumes her days completely - until he disgraces himself and Akari's world goes into a tailspin.

Full Product Details

9781838856137

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Reviews

Usami so successfully depicts the consequences of pure obsession * * Guardian * * [Idol, Burning] cracked a door open into an intense world of obsession . . . essential reading for anyone who wants to understand what it is like to be a teenage girl, where priorities are skewed, emotions are high, and everything feels like it's life or death -- CATHERINE PRASIFKA A vivid depiction of the joys and despairs of teenage fan culture, Idol, Burning is urgent and all-consuming . . . In this passionate and compassionate novel, the voice of teenage desperation sings out -- KATIE HALE A short but mighty novel that sheds a light on the world of superfans, obsession and the dangers of building your identity around a phenomenon that can disappear in a second . . . Usami's novel lifts the lid on the unique world of fandom and 'stan' culture in Japan * * The Skinny * * Compelling and unsettling in equal measure, Idol, Burning is a pitch-perfect insight into how confusing and exhausting modern life can feel to young women today. * * Buzz Magazine * * Idol, Burning is a window into the world of teenage obsession and the dark places it can venture to . . . This is like nothing else I've read * * Red * * Praise for Rin Usami: Pure brilliance -- TOSHIYUKI HORIE, author of THE BEAR AND THE PAVING STONE Poignant -- YOKO OGAWA, author of THE MEMORY POLICE [Usami's] writing is extremely fresh and she has high literary ability -- Akutagawa Prize Judges

Author Information

Born in 1999, Rin Usami is a university student and writer. Her debut novel Kaka won the Bungei Prize and the Mishima Yukio Prize. Her second novel Oshi, Moyu / Idol, Burning won the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 2020 and has become a phenomenon, selling over 500,000 copies in Japan alone. She lives in Japan. Asa Yoneda is a literary translator based in Bristol, UK, whose work includes The Lonesome Bodybuilder by Yukiko Motoya and Dead-End Memories by Banana Yoshimoto.

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