[Shinchosha Publishing Co., Ltd.] [Nominees for the Noma Literary Newcomer Award Announced] “Funeral Day” is the “rebirth” work of Mamiya Kaii, who made a stunning debut with “Here is Everything Before Dawn.”
Shinchosha Publishing Co., Ltd. Press Release: October 1, 2025 [Nominees for the Noma Literary Newcomer Award Announced] “Funeral Day” marks the “rebirth” of Mamiya Kaii, who made a stunning debut with “Here Before the Dawn of Everything.” A father passed away from illness without ever being able to connect with his daughter. His daughter, now a writer, decided to “turn” the painful years she spent with her father and family into money. “A Funeral,” a breakthrough work by this author, who is still fresh in our minds with her hit “This is Everything Before the Dawn,” has been shortlisted for the Noma Literary Newcomer Award. The book is scheduled for
publication in December.
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Mamiya Kai made a brilliant debut as a writer in 2024, winning the Special Prize at the 11th Hayakawa Science Fiction Contest for “Here, Before the Dawn of Everything.” She was also nominated for the Mishima Prize that same year. However, despite her brilliant debut, she fell into a deep depression. Another publisher commissioned her to write a novella follow-up to her debut novel, but the writing made no progress. One day, during one of our meetings, for some reason, she blurted out that she wanted to write a novel about her father, who died during the pandemic. Unexpectedly, she entered the world of “personal novels.” Just like the protagonist of “Here Before Dawn,” she found herself confronting her own life. Facing her life and family, which she had previously turned a blind eye to, marked the beginning of a new, difficult path. Mamiya Kaii’s “A Day of Funeral” is a shocking, behind-the-scenes look at the writing of “Here Before Dawn,” as well as a candid portrayal of the author’s own “before dawn.” Beyond this, she exudes her intense resolve as a writer. It was published in the August 2025 issue of “Shincho” magazine and has now been shortlisted for the 47th Noma Literary Newcomer Award. A hardcover edition has also been announced. ■Work introduction “You could die tomorrow, Dad. So tell me what happened.” A father passed away from illness without ever being able to connect with his daughter. His daughter, now a writer, decides to “exchange” the painful years she spent with her father and family for money. This is the “rebirth” of the author who made such a shocking debut with “This Is Everything Before the Dawn.” As I entered my 30s, I began to question my work as a game scenario writer. A novel I wrote on a whim won a special prize at a new writer’s awards, and I became a successful author. However, I couldn’t cope with my work being treated as a “product” that had become detached from me, and I became mentally ill. Then, an editor at a publishing company asked me to write a piece, and I suddenly thought of my father. My parents didn’t get along, and after my father developed cancer when I was in junior high school, he lived away from the family to focus on his treatment. My mother worked part-time and raised my younger brother and me on her own, but to me she was a toxic parent. After graduating from university, she moved to Tokyo and we lost contact. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my father did not return to his hometown until his final days. But thinking back, the reason I fell in love with writing in the first place was to turn my eyes away from my father, who was suffering from cancer. In order to “settle the score with the past,” I decided to try my hand at writing an “autobiographical novel.” ■Author Information: Mamiya Kai Born in Oita Prefecture in 1992. In 2023, he won the Special Prize at the 11th Hayakawa SF Contest for “Here is Everything Before the Dawn.” The work was published in book form the following year and was shortlisted for the 37th Mishima Yukio Prize. ■Book data A Day of Funeral [Author] Mamiya Kai [Release Date] December 17, 2025 [Binding] 46-size hardcover [Price] To be determined [ISBN] 978-4-10-355732-6 Copyright ©
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