The Waseda Guardian interviewed Chieko Kawahara, a graduate of Waseda Univ. and a housewife, and Ryo Asai, a sophmore of Waseda and studing creative writing and criticism. They won the 22nd Shousetsu Subaru Shinjinshou (prize for new writers of Shousetsu Subaru) this autumn.
The prize is promoted by well known Japanese literary magazine, Shousetsu Subaru published by SHUEISHA Inc.
A title of Kawahara’s novel is Shiroi hana to toritachi no inori , of Asai’s novel is Kirishima bukatsu yameru tteyo.
Guardian: I heard you studied literature at Waseda University. What do you think were the most important you learned then?
Kawahara: My department allowed students to study what we wanted, so I studied the field I was interested in.
Waseda University has so many students and professors that I could meet with a diverse group of people. They were very interesting and I am still friends with some of them.
G: When did you start to write novels?
K: I have liked to tell stories ever since I was small. When I was a junior and senior high school student, I made stories about school days. I had worries that had no clear reason and wondered why I had such difficulties. I think my acts of writing was an outlet for negative feelings.
G: What were you thinking of when you wrote your winning novel?
K: I want readers to find strength here if they read it when they’re falling on hard times. And, I take
care of not to lose sight of reality when writing. I will write what should occur, not to write what ever would be convenient for ending the stories.
G: Did you start out with a firm idea of what to write?
K: It has almost the same meaning as becoming a wandering individual. Japanese people are originally group-oriented and citizens used to live in naturally-made communities. But today such communities are no longer there and individuals cannot rely on and live in groups, so they live with few relations just like atoms.
G: What is the influence of atomic individuals ?
K: Yes. However, I added modifications when I thought something else made more sense. And, characters moved as they pleased.
I file away notes I write about characters and their back grounds. As I did so, I became friends with those characters. I get to understand what they’r
G: I heard that you took two years to write your novel, right?
K: Yes. I started to go to the culture center and to write the novel two years ago. I felt free to do, so I wrote at my own pace. But my teacher at the center said that I should finish writing, so I did so. I think I have a passion for the work. I love the characters, especially the hero and heroine, so that I felt I had to be known ever as a lower reader with a prize for new writers.
G: Do you have anything to say for readers of this publication?
K: I will tell you a wonderful phrase, “Literature is not intellect but sensitivity.” that I was given by my teacher met at Waseda University who is a professor about French literature.
Of course, I think it means sensitivity is primary and intellect is secondary. This phrase has been to support me. It was by not forgetting those words that I could start writing a novel.
Kawahara was born in 1962, is a graduate of Waseda University
and won Shousetsu Subaru Shinjinshou.
"Characters of my novel are my friends."
G: How do you spend your schooldays at Waseda University, Asai?
Asai: I write novels in class, for example. The circumstance of my course that many classmates aim to become published authors and teachers try to produce authors was helpful for me.
And, I belong to street dance group. Dance is good for me because I can practice for a purpose. I think it is good straddling and picking up experience in different worlds.
G: When did you decide you wanted to be a novelist?
A: I have liked writing stories and wanted to be a novelist since I was a small child. But it is unrealistic dream, I think.
G: How kind of a novelist does you drive for?
A: I want to write novels which entertain all my readers. And I hope for my novels to film in the future because I love movies.
G: What did you most intend to convey to readers through the winnig novel?
A: My high school days were so happy because I had many wonderful friends. I felt the end of high school life strongly when I became a college student. So I wished to relive my memories of high school. High school students have many problems, but it’s a happy time because it means they have so many options for the future. Everyone had those beautiful days and enjoyed then. I felt that I wanted my novels to hold those memories.
G: The novel follows the viewpoints of both boys and girls. How did you write the girl’s sections?
A: I imagined. It is only thing I can do. Sometimes I report and watch people eagerly. I listen to conversations of others on the train instead of listening to music. If I see something interesting, I write it down on my cell phone.
G: Do you have any message to readers of this publication?
A: I think there are many chances at Waseda University. We can do everything here. So if you don’t shy away from doing things, you can do whatever you want.
Kawahara was born in 1962, is a graduate of Waseda University
and won Shousetsu Subaru Shinjinshou.
"Characters of my novel are my friends."
BY Shiori Iwatsubo
