MONKEY New Writing from Japan Volume 2: Travel. Edited by Ted Goossen and Motoyuki Shibata

A fascinating annual collection of artistic works from Japan, including short stories, poetry and wonderful illustrations, with a theme of travel.

Some of the tales are very unusual, such as the first story Sea Horse, where a woman craves to go to the sea. Or the tale of being in hell where a dead boy witnesses the Kennedy assassination and the life of Julius Caesar. Haruki Murakami writes about his experiences of jogging in Mykonos and the dogs there, plus a beautiful painting to accompany it...and a graphic story about an overcoat that has lost its owner. Have you ever wondered what happens to lost coats? This story is expressed in a strip cartoon style.

The imagination in these pieces is truly creative and so there is little indication what the story or poem is likely to contain. The paintings are bright and colourful or detailed and atmospheric, but always truly artistic. My favourite section is Five Modern Poets on Travel, which begins with a poem about a car and then takes us through the cherry blossom trails of traditional Japan.

This is a joyous book that the reader can dip in and out of, a whole host of original ideas and vivid imagination brought to the page. An eclectic collection and a memorable journey. Recommended for those open to something different. 

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Published by Stone Bridge Press on 28 December 2021.
​Advanced review copy supplied by the publisher.

MONKEY New Writing from Japan publishes the best in contemporary Japanese fiction in English translation, as well as other works both old and new by writers, artists, and translators from Japan, England, Canada, and the U.S.

MONKEY is the English-language offspring of the Tokyo-based Japanese literary journal MONKEY, founded by Motoyuki Shibata, one of Japan’s most acclaimed translators of American fiction. Selections are made by Shibata and Ted Goossen, one of the leading translators of Japanese fiction working today.