All The Lovers In The Night
A deeply moving story about a woman searching for meaning in contemporary Tokyo. From literary sensation and International Booker Prize-shortlisted author Mieko Kawakami, the bestelling author of Breasts and Eggs and Heaven, comes All the Lovers in the Night.
'A brief, compelling study of alienation and friendship; I binge-read it in one sitting' – Rebecca F. Kuang, author of Yellowface
Fuyuko Irie is a freelance proofreader in her thirties. Living alone in an overwhelming city and unable to form meaningful relationships, she has little contact with anyone other than her colleague, Hijiri. But a chance encounter with a man named Mitsutsuka awakens something new in her. Through their weekly meetings, Fuyuko starts to see the world in a different light and painful memories from her past begin to resurface.
As Fuyuko realizes she exists in a small world of her own making she begins to push at her own boundaries. But will she find the strength to bring down the walls that surround her?
Poetic, modern and shocking, this is an unforgettable novel from Japan’s most exciting writer.
‘Mieko Kawakami is a genius’ – Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times
All the Lovers in the Night is translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd.
Mieko Kawakami is the author of the internationally bestselling novel Breasts and Eggs, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and one of TIME’s Best 10 Books of the Year, and the highly acclaimed Heaven, her second novel to be translated and published in English, which Oprah Daily described as written ‘with jagged, visceral beauty’. All the Lovers in the Night is Kawakami's third novel.
Born in Osaka, Japan, Kawakami made her literary debut as a poet in 2006, and in 2007 published her first novella, My Ego, My Teeth, and the World. Known for their poetic qualities, their insights into the female body, and their preoccupation with ethics and modern society, her books have been translated into over twenty languages. Kawakami’s literary awards include the Akutagawa Prize, the Tanizaki Prize, and the Murasaki Shikibu Prize. She lives in Tokyo, Japan.