It brings us immense pleasure to announce that Evan Dara’s The Lost Scrapbook will be available in its first-ever Japanese translation this November, translated by the esteemed Yoshihiko Kihara. Known for its unique style—written without periods and narrated by countless anonymous voices—this novel has long been considered an “unread masterpiece.”
Originally published in 1995, The Lost Scrapbook has become one of the pillars of postmodern literature, often compared to the ambitious debuts of Joseph McElroy (The Smuggler’s Bible) and Thomas Pynchon (V.), while frequently drawing comparisons to the work of William Gaddis. Now, Japanese readers can experience this novel for themselves, praised for its experimental yet deeply human approach to storytelling.
The Japanese edition of The Lost Scrapbook, published by Genki Shobo, features a new translation by Yoshihiko Kihara, a leading scholar in contemporary English literature and the award-winning translator of William Gaddis’s JR and Richard Powers’s The Overstory. Kihara’s deft touch promises to bring Dara’s intricate, unconventional prose to life for a new audience.
Book Details:
- Translated by Yoshihiko Kihara
- 584 pages, softcover
- ISBN: 978-4-86488-310-8
- Scheduled publication: Late November 2024
About the Translator
Yoshihiko Kihara
Born in Tottori Prefecture in 1967. Graduated from the Faculty of Letters of Kyoto University, and completed the Master’s and Doctoral programs at the Graduate School of Letters of the same university. Ph.D. (Literature). Professor at the Graduate School of Humanities of Osaka University. He specializes in contemporary English literature. His books include Experimental Novels: A Different Way to Narrate (Sairyusha) and Why Does Irony Communicate? (Kobunsha Shinsho). His translations include JR by William Gaddis (Kokusho Kankokai, winner of the 5th Japan Translation Award), The Overstory by Richard Powers, and How to Be Both by Ali Smith (all published by Shinchosha), and 10:04 by Ben Lerner (Hakusuisha).
The Evan Dara Affinity 