[Bungei Shunju Co., Ltd.] [Breaking news! ] Hideyuki Takano’s “Iraq Suikoden” wins the 34th Bunkamura Dumago Literary Award!
*Bungei Shunju Co., Ltd.*
Press release: September 3, 2024
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【breaking news! ] Hideyuki Takano’s “Iraq Suikoden” wins the 34th Bunkamura Dumago Literary Award!
The 34th Bunkamura Dumago Literary Award (sponsored by Bunkamura) was announced today, September 3rd (Tuesday), and Hideyuki Takano’s non-fiction novel “Iraq Suikoden” was selected.
To Natsuo Kirino, a member of the selection committee: * “A monster work that challenges the frontiers of frontiers. It’s undeniably interesting!”*
This highly acclaimed work is a unique nonfiction work that tackles the mysteries of Ahwar, a huge wetland in southern Iraq that can be called the “last chaos of modern times.”
Bungeishunju Co., Ltd. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
The book was published on July 26, 2013 by President: Shigeyuki Iikubo, and was highly praised for its bold adventurous exploration and detailed ethnographic records, and won the 28th Naoki Uemura Adventure Award. It was a great achievement to achieve the second title.
Just like the four great Chinese classics, Water Margin, there have been many anarchic swamps in world history where rebels gathered, such as the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War, Venice in Italy, and the Danube Delta in Romania. Among them, Akhwar, a huge wetland that existed close to the Mesopotamian civilization, the oldest known human civilization, is a unique place where horses, camels, and chariots cannot be used, there are no boundaries, and there is a maze of waterways.
Wetland area where giant reeds grow
The ruins of the embankment built by Hussein
The record of this place, where Mandaean Christians who believe in ancient esoteric religions hide out, where rebellious men who resisted Hussein’s dictatorship gather, and where Ma’dan, a nomadic people who live with water buffaloes, live the “ultimate sustainable life” is a travelogue. This book is not only extremely interesting as a book, but also has great value as an ethnographic document. Among these, it is the first in the world to report on the details of “how to make gamers from water buffalo milk” and “how to make floating islands with reeds” in the Maadan lifestyle, and it is a unique report that has been made in wetlands for generations. The detailed research on Marsh Arab cloth (Azar) is also a notable achievement.
Mandaean ritual
In front of Marsh Arab cloth (Mr. Takano is on the far right) Illustration of gamer creation/Illustration by Takashi Yamada * ■Comment from author Hideyuki Takano*
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I have never considered my work to be a literary work, so I was surprised to receive this award. But my policy is to “write books that no one else has written.” I am very happy to receive this award, which is given to cutting-edge works that are not bound by established concepts, as it seems that what I have been doing so far has been recognized. *
■Profile
*Hideyuki Takano*
Nonfiction writer. Born in Tokyo in 1966. His policy is “Go where no one else has gone, do what no one else has done, and write the books no one else has written.” He made his debut with “Chase the Mysterious Beast Mbembe” (Shueisha Bunko), which he wrote while enrolled in the Waseda University Exploration Club. He won the Shudoku Bookseller Award for “Waseda Sanjo Seishunki” (Shueisha Bunko), and the Kodansha Nonfiction Award and the Tadao Umesao Mountain and Exploration Literature Award for “The Mysterious Independent Nation of Somaliland” (Shueisha Bunko). In 2024, he won the 28th Naoki Uemura Adventure Award in collaboration with Takashi Yamada. His recent works include “Border Meshi” (Bunshun Bunko) and “100 Million Light Years to the Language Genius” (Shueisha International).
■Bibliographic information
Publisher: Bungeishunju Co., Ltd.
Book name: “Iraq Suikoden”
Author: Hideyuki Takano
Illustration: Takashi Yamada
Size: 46-size hardcover, 480 pages
Release date: July 26, 2023
Regular price: 2420 yen (tax included)
ISBN: 978-4-16-391729-0
Bibliography URL: https://books.bunshun.jp/ud/book/num/9784163917290
■Bunkamura Dumago Literary Award Information
Sponsor: Bunkamura
URL: https://www.bunkamura.co.jp/bungaku/
The author is available for interviews. Please feel free to contact us.