Nagoya ¨C In 2021, Li Kotomi became just the second writer without Japanese as her native language to win Japan¡¯s most prestigious literary award, the Akutagawa Prize ¡ª the first being Yang Yi in 2008.
It was her second time making history: she was also the first author to win the Gunzo Award for New Writers for the same reason.
¡°While I don¡¯t think that I experienced any particular difficulties publishing ¡®Solo Dance¡¯ because of my nationality, I was constantly affixed with the label of ¡®Taiwanese¡¯ in the publishing and media coverage, which may have caused some readers to shy away,¡± Li tells The Japan Times via email. A Taiwanese writer breaking into Japan¡¯s inner literary circle is a historic feat ¡ª and the book that started it all, 2018¡¯s ¡°Solo Dance,¡± is coming out in English translation on May 24.
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