Murata Sayaka

Won the Akutagawa Prize in 2016 for Konbini ningen (trans. Convenience Store Woman), which sold more than 1 million copies in Japan. Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1979. Graduated from Tamagawa University. Received the Gunzō New Writers Award for Junyū (Breastfeeding) in 2003, the Noma Prize for New Writers for Gin’iro no uta (Silver Song) in 2009, and the Mishima Yukio Prize for Shiroiro no machi no, sono hone no taion no (White City, the Heat of Those Bones) in 2013.