MURATA Sayaka will read from her novel “Konbini Ningen”, which was awarded the renowned Akutagawa Prize in 2016 and was published under the title “Die Ladenhüterin” in the German translation (Ursula GRÄFE, Aufbau Verlag) in March 2018 (and published as “Convenience Store Woman” in English). Junior Professor Ronald SALADIN (Japanese Studies, University of Trier) will lead the interview with the author and discuss the different aspects of this novel. Following, the author will be happy to answer questions from the audience.

About the book: FURUKURA Keiko is different. Feelings are foreign to her, the behavior of her fellow human beings usually irritates her. She keeps to herself so as not to cause offence. However, on her way back from university, she comes across a newly opened supermarket, a so-called Konbini, and decides to start working there as a temp. She is taught the right facial expression, the right smile, the right way of speaking. Keiko's world finally shrinks to a more tolerable level for her, she merges with the customs of the Konbini. But then SHIRAHA starts working there, a cynical young man who defies all the rules. Keiko's painstakingly constructed system of living starts to falter. Before she knows it, this man is sitting in her bathtub. Day and night.

About the presenter: Dr. Ronald SALADIN is an assistant professor of Japanese Studies at the University of Trier, where he conducts research on contemporary literature, popular culture and media from a literary, media and sociological perspective. His research focuses on gender constructions, lifestyles, youth and subcultures, and social developments in Japan.

The discussion with the author will be simultaneously interpreted in German and Japanese.

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