Emi Yagi

A quirky, joyful, feel-good love story about a lonely museum worker who falls in love with a statue of Venus, from the author of international bestseller Diary of a Void Rika Horauchi's new part-time job is to converse with a statue of Venus--in Latin--every Monday, when the museum is closed. Initially reluctant, Rika starts to enjoy her strange new job. Recommended by her old university professor for her exemplary language skills, Rika leads an otherwise unassuming life, working the rest of the week in a frozen-food warehouse. As Venus comes to life in the quiet of the museum, they talk about everything. Venus opens up new worlds for Rika, both intellectually and emotionally. They soon fall in love. But when the museum's curator, Hashibami, makes it clear he wants to keep Venus for himself, what will Rika do? When the Museum is Closed is by turns charming, funny and surprising, a surreal take on our most real emotions and concerns: love, loneliness, freedom, perceptions of beauty and how women are seen in society. This uncommonly original new novel confirms Emi Yagi as one of the most exciting Japanese writers published in English today.

A quirky, joyful queer love story about a lonely museum worker who falls in love with a statue of Venus'Filled with movement and passion - a luminous story that reveals a whole world of desire and possibility, right at the heart of loneliness' Rosie Price, author of THE ORANGE ROOMRika Horauchi’s new part-time job is to converse with a statue of Venus – in Latin – every Monday, when the museum is closed. Initially reluctant, Rika starts to enjoy her strange new job. Recommended by her old university professor for her exemplary language skills, Rika leads an otherwise unassuming life, working the rest of the week in a frozen-food warehouse. As Venus comes to life in the quiet of the museum, they talk about everything. Venus opens up new worlds for Rika, both intellectually and emotionally. They soon fall in love. But when the museum’s curator, Hashibami, makes it clear he wants to keep Venus for himself, what will Rika do? When the Museum is Closed is by turns charming, funny and surprising, a surreal take on our most real emotions and concerns: love, loneliness, freedom, perceptions of beauty and how women are seen in society. A joyful queer love story, this fresh and original new novel confirms Emi Yagi as one of the most exciting Japanese writers published in English today. Translated by Yuki TejimaPraise for Diary of a Void‘Incredibly thought-provoking... you‘ll love Yagi‘s writing‘ STYLIST‘A subversive, surreal read that will strike a cord‘ RED‘Endlessly strange, funny and meaningful‘ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING‘A book that reflects on life, solitude and what it means to be a woman‘ FINANCIAL TIMES

Japanilaisen nykykirjallisuuden villikko sieppaa lukijan mielikuvituslennolle viettelevien patsaiden maailmaan. Ujon varastotyöntekijän Rikan elämä saa virkistävän käänteen, kun hänet palkataan latinan taitojensa ansiosta museoon keskustelukumppaniksi Venus-veistokselle. Itsevarma rakkauden jumalatar kietoo Rikan pauloihinsa, ja nainen ilahtuu, etenkin kun on lapsesta asti kärsinyt niskassaan roikkuvasta kammottavasta keltaisesta sadetakista, joka on eristänyt hänet muista. Museon komealla kuraattorilla on kuitenkin toinen suunnitelma. Venus ja minä on japanilaista maagista realismia kiehtovimmillaan - herkullisen yllättäviä käänteitä ja kaurismäkeläisittäin myhäilyttävää omaperäisyyttä.

Anmelderrost, humoristisk og knivskarp debut fra Japans nye litterære stjerneskud. Som den eneste kvinde på sin arbejdsplads falder det tilbage på Shibata at lave alle de kedeligste opgaver. En dag bekendtgør hun, at hun ikke kan vaske sine kollegers beskidte kaffekopper op, fordi hun er gravid, og lugten gør hende dårlig. Men ... Shibata er ikke gravid, og nu har hun en ni måneder lang løgn, hun skal opretholde.""Dagbog fra et tomrum" er en af de stærkeste skildringer af kvindelig subjektivitet, kreativitet og indre liv, jeg nogensinde har læst." - The New Yorker"Ganske få samfundskritiske romaner holder, hvad de lover ... Yagi skildrer med lethed den endeløse ironi ved sit præmis med masser af humor, men også en erkendelse af, at graviditet og moderskab er en fremmedgørende oplevelse, der på ingen måde er en løsning på den undertrykkende arbejdskultur, som inspirerede Shibatas eksperiment." - The New York TimesUdnævnt til en af årets bedste bøger i The New Yorker. Vinder af den prestigefulde Dazai Osamu-debutantpris i Japan

For the sake of women everywhere, Ms Shibata is going to pull off the mother of all deceptions...'Incredibly thought-provoking... you'll love Yagi's writing' STYLISTMs Shibata refuses to clear away the coffee at work one day, because she's pregnant and can't bear the smell. The only thing is . . . Ms Shibata is not pregnant. Being a mother-to-be isn't easy. Ms Shibata has a nine-month ruse to keep up. Before long, it becomes all-absorbing, and with the help of towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app that tracks every stage of her 'pregnancy', the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve. Discover this prizewinning, thrillingly subversive new novel that's perfect for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Breasts and Eggs.'A subversive, surreal read that will strike a cord' RED'One of the most passionate cases I've ever read for female interiority, for women's creative pulse and rich inner life' NEW YORKERTranslated from the Japanese by David Boyd and Lucy North

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker - NPR - WBEZ's Nerdette - The New York Public Library - Literary Hub A New York Times Editors' Choice "One of the most passionate cases I've ever read for female interiority, for women's creative pulse and rich inner life." ―Katy Waldman, The New Yorker "Always expect the unexpected when you're not expecting." ―Sloane Crosley A woman in Tokyo avoids harassment at work by perpetuating, for nine months and beyond, the lie that she's pregnant in this prizewinning, thrillingly subversive debut novel about the mother of all deceptions, for fans of Convenience Store Woman and Breasts and Eggs When thirty-four-year-old Ms. Shibata gets a new job to escape sexual harassment at her old one, she finds that as the only woman at her new workplace--a manufacturer of cardboard tubes--she is expected to do all the menial tasks. One day she announces that she can't clear away her coworkers' dirty cups--because she's pregnant and the smell nauseates her. The only thing is . . . Ms. Shibata is not pregnant. Pregnant Ms. Shibata doesn't have to serve coffee to anyone. Pregnant Ms. Shibata isn't forced to work overtime. Pregnant Ms. Shibata rests, watches TV, takes long baths, and even joins an aerobics class for expectant mothers. She's finally being treated by her colleagues as more than a hollow core. But she has a nine-month ruse to keep up. Before long, it becomes all-absorbing, and with the help of towel-stuffed shirts and a diary app that tracks every stage of her "pregnancy," the boundary between her lie and her life begins to dissolve. Surreal and absurdist, and with a winning matter-of-factness, a light touch, and a refreshing sensitivity to mental health, Diary of a Void will keep you turning the pages to see just how far Ms. Shibata will carry her deception for the sake of women, and especially working mothers, everywhere.

Humoristisk og utfordrande debut frå Japans nye litterære stjerneskot. Ettersom ho er einaste kvinne på kontoret, blir det venta av Shibata at ho gjer alle dei kjipe arbeidsoppgåvene ho aldri har bedt om. Ein dag får ho nok og seier at ho ikkje kan vaske dei brukte kaffikoppane til kollegaene lenger fordi ho er gravid og ikkje toler lukta. Gravide Shibata treng ikkje servere kaffi til nokon. Gravide Shibata treng ikkje jobbe overtid. Gravide Shibata ser på TV, tek lange bad og blir med på aerobictimar for framtidige mødrer. Det er berre det at Shibata ikkje er gravid, og no har ho ei ni månader lang løgn å oppretthalde. Med svart humor og presis samfunnssatire skildrar Dagbok frå eit tomrom korleis ei kvinne må dikte opp ein graviditet for å bli sett og respektert. Dagbok frå eit tomrom vart kåra til ei av årets ti beste bøker i The New Yorker og vann den prestisjefulle debutantprisen Dazai Osamu i Japan. Frå japansk ved Ingvill Kjærstein.