
Original title:
お探し物は図書室まで
Original language:
Japanese
Publication info:
Poplar
11 November 2020
300 pages
Genre:
Upmarket commercial fiction
Rights handled by New River:
Foreign rights excl. Asia
Rights sold:
Brazil (Sextante)
Bulgaria (Locus)
China (China South Booky)
Czech Republic (Dobrovsky)
France (Leduc)
French paperback (J'ai Lu)
Germany (Rowohlt)
Greece (Patakis)
Indonesia
Italy (Garzanti)
Korea (Mindbuiding)
The Netherlands (Meulenhoff)
North America (Hanover Square Press)
Poland (Relacja)
Portugal (Lua de Papel)
Romania (Nemira)
Russia (Mann, Ivanov & Ferber)
Serbia (Vulkan)
Spain (Planeta)
Taiwan (Spring International)
Thailand (Amarin)
UK & Comm ex Can (Doubleday)
World Arabic (Arab Cultural Centre)
What You Are Looking For is in the Library
by Michiko Aoyama
Runner-up of the 2021 Japan Booksellers’ Awards; more than 130,000 copies sold
What are you looking for? is the question that enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi, puts to those who come to her for book recommendations. The list of titles she gives, however, always contains an unexpected addition that becomes a catalyst for the borrower to gain new perspectives and gives them the impetus to make changes in their life. The novel is comprised of five chapters, each narrated by a visitor to the library in the small community centre in Tokyo. Each protagonist is at a different juncture in their career, wrestling with dilemmas particular to that stage of life. The conversation that they have with Sayuri Komachi turns out to be a life-changing encounter.
A constant reminder of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, this charming book about the magic of books, life choices, and community, could not be timelier in a post-Covid age. The skilfully and subtly interwoven stories, with characters in one story naturally re-appearing in other stories, add up to a novel that is a paean to libraries, books, and community. Its message that books are a source of wisdom and inspiration, often playing a key role in human communication, is one that will resonate widely. Anyone who has ever felt at an impasse in their life or career will surely find something to identify with within these heart-warming pages.
About the author
Born in 1970, Michiko Aoyama worked for two years as a reporter for a Japanese newspaper from Sydney after graduating from university. After her return to Japan, she worked as a magazine editor at a publishing house before turning to full time writing. Her debut work, Hot Chocolate on Thursday, won the 1st Miyazakimoto Prize. Her second novel What You Are Looking For is in the Library is the runner-up of the 2021 Japan Booksellers Awards. Both books have been on Japan's bestseller lists.