»An overnight sensation and a feminist icon« [New York Times]. Even before her international bestseller »Breasts and Eggs« [trans. Sam Bett & David Boyd], Mieko Kawakami had already established herself as one of the most influential voices in contemporary Japanese literature. With sharp insight, layered nuance, and subtle humor, her novels explore the role of women in Japanese society. She writes with intimate proximity to the emotional and everyday lives of her characters, touching on issues such as bullying, beauty standards, and the struggle for self-determination.
Having appeared digitally at the ilb in 2022, Kawakami now returns to the Berliner Festspiele for the German premiere of her new novel »Sisters in Yellow« [trans. Laurel Taylor, Hitomi Yoshio]. The novel follows seventeen-year-old Hana as she grows up in poverty, yearns for independence, finds female solidarity on the fringes of society – and ultimately becomes entangled in a parallel criminal world. Speaking about the origins of the book, she remarked: »I was interested in exploring what a ‘Breaking Bad’ kind of story might be like if it weren’t such a macho drama« [The New York Times].
With Mieko Kawakami
Moderated by Miriam Zeh
Read by Marie Bloching
The event will be held in Japanese with simultaneous translation into German.
With sign language translation in DGS.
The anniversary program is made possible by the LOTTO Foundation Berlin.
