In partnership with The Times and the Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, the Japan Foundation invites author Keiichiro Hirano for a live conversation with translator Eli K.P. William.

Prizewinning author and a prominent figure in the Japanese literary sphere, Keiichiro Hirano joins us for a revelatory discussion about his work and will take questions from audiences during this live session. As his books At the End of the Matinee and A Man demonstrate, Hirano is a rare philosophical writer as well as an accomplished storyteller, inviting readers to ‘bask’ in his novels forever, regardless of whether it is a love story or a psychological thriller. In writing, he consciously poses questions about the definition of life and happiness, reflecting not only Japanese society but also the global circumstances we are in.

Joining also is Eli K.P. William, a British Canadian science fiction author who translated A Man into English. Eli will give us his views on the book from the viewpoint of a translator while elucidating his translation process.

Kate Griffin, Associate Programme Director at the National Centre for Writing will moderate the session.

This is a follow up session to the recorded conversation with Keiichiro Hirano and Suzi Feay as part of The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival and it is recommended to watch the recorded session as well. To watch the session, please click here.

In the lead up to the session, you may also be interested in reading an English translation of Hirano’s short story, The Transparent Labyrinth, published by Strangers Press, which you can find here.

Keiichiro Hirano
https://en.k-hirano.com
Twitter: @hiranok (Japanese only); @hiranok_en (English)
Instagram: @hiranok (English only)

Eli K.P. William
https://elikpwilliam.com
Twitter: @dice_carver 
Instagram: @elikpwilliam