Japanese literary award is won by Taiwan-born writer Li Kotomi
- Li is only the second person whose native language is not Japanese to win the Akutagawa Prize
- She is awarded the prize for her novel about a young girl who reaches an isolated island and faces its hidden history
The 31-year-old Li received the prize for her novel Higanbana ga Saku Shima (An Island Where Red Spider Lily Blooms), a story about a young girl who upon reaching an isolated island faces its hidden history.
In 2008, China-born novelist Yang Yi became the first person whose native language is not Japanese to receive the award.
“I want to thank my readers foremost,” Li said at a press conference held the same day after the announcement of prizewinners.
Born in 1989, Li started learning Japanese when she was 15 years old and arrived in Japan in 2013 after graduating from National Taiwan University. After studying at a Waseda University graduate school, she released her debut novel Hitorimai (Dance Alone), written in Japanese, in 2017.
Taiwanese media celebrated Li’s win on Thursday, widely reporting she was the first author from the self-ruled island to have gained the recognition of the Japanese literary circle.