Kazuki Sakuraba

Kazuki Sakuraba is a Japanese author of novels and light novels, and Naoki Prize winner.

Biography

Sakuraba was born in Shimane Prefecture on the 26th of July 1971. She, however, grew up in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture.
She started writing novels when she was in the fourth or fifth grade of elementary school. In the library, Sakuraba often met a girl who she befriended that was writing something like a novel, so she decided to do the same, writing her first novel in her notebook.
During her junior and senior high school years, Sakuraba skipped classes and cram school to read books. She states that she was seemingly unable to and hated studying. She graduated from Yonago Higashi High School and moved to Tokyo for university. During university, she repeatedly tried but failed to write anything substantial. Sakuraba continued to read books however and had a part-time job.
In 1993, she won the DENiM New Writer's Award. In 1999, Sakuraba's novel Yozora ni, Manten no Hoshi received an honorable mention in the 1st Famitsu Entertainment Award in the novel category. Novelist Usagi Nakamura was on the selection committee and recommended the work, barely making the selection and allowing Sakuraba to debut. After her debut, there was a period of stagnation where Sakuraba did not publish much and the work she did publish did not sell well.
In 2003, Sakuraba made her first big break with the light novel series Gosick. In addition, her novels Suitei Shōjo and A Lollypop or A Bullet published in 2004 were highly acclaimed, and in 2005, her novel Shōjo ni wa Mukanai Shokugyō attracted attention as her first work for the general public.
In 2007, she won the 60th Mystery Writers of Japan Award in the long and serial short story category for her work Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas published in 2006. The same work was nominated for the 28th Eiji Yoshikawa Literary Newcomer Award. In 2008, she won the 138th Naoki Prize for her novel ''Watashi no Otoko.''

Works in English translation

Gosick seriesGosick, Volume 1 Gosick, Volume 2: The Crime That Has No Name
Other

Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas, translated Jocelyne Allen

Awards and nominations

;Japanese Awards

2007 – Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel: Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas
2007 – Nominee for Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers: Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas
2007 – Nominee for Naoki Prize: Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas
2007 – Naoki Prize: Watashi no Otoko

;U.S. Awards

2016 – Longlisted for the 2015 James Tiptree, Jr. Award: ''Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas''

Gosick series

Books in the GOSICK series up to GOSICKs III were published originally by Fujimi Mystery Bunko; the publishing dates listed correspond to this printing. Between September 2009 and January 2011, these books were republished by Kadokawa Bunko. From February to November 2011 they were then republished by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Starting with GOSICK VII the books have been published by Kadokawa Bunko exclusively.
Royalties from the first edition printing of GOSICK VII were donated to the Japanese Red Cross to aid victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Year	Japanese Title	English Title	Publisher	ISBN
2003	Goshikku	GOSICK -Gosick-	Fujimi Mystery Bunko Kadokawa Bunko Kadokawa Beans Bunko
2004	Goshikku: Sono Tsumi wa Namonaki	GOSICK II -Gosick: Those Sins are Nameless-	Fujimi Mystery Bunko Kadokawa Bunko Kadokawa Beans Bunko
2004	Goshikku: Aoi Bara no Shita de	GOSICK III -Gosick: Beneath the Blue Rose-	Fujimi Mystery Bunko Kadokawa Bunko Kadokawa Beans Bunko
2005	Goshikku: Kuja o Daiben Seyo	GOSICK IV -Gosick: Speaking on Behalf of Fools-	Fujimi Mystery Bunko Kadokawa Bunko Kadokawa Beans Bunko
2005	Goshikkuesu: Haru Kitaru Shinigami	GOSICKs -Gosicks: The Death God that Came with Spring-	Fujimi Mystery Bunko Kadokawa Bunko Kadokawa Beans Bunko
2005	Goshikku: Beruzebubu no Zugai	GOSICK V -Gosick: Belzebub's Skull-	Fujimi Mystery Bunko Kadokawa Bunko Kadokawa Beans Bunko
2006	Goshikkuesu: Natsu kara Toozakaru Ressha	GOSICKs II -Gosicks: The Train Moving Away From Summer-	Fujimi Mystery Bunko Kadokawa Bunko Kadokawa Beans Bunko
2006	Goshikku: Kamen Butōkai no Yoru	GOSICK VI -Gosick: The Night of the Masquerade Ball-	Fujimi Mystery Bunko Kadokawa Bunko Kadokawa Beans Bunko
2007	Goshikuesu: Aki no Hana no Omoide	GOSICKs III -Gosicks: Memories of Autumn Flowers-	Fujimi Mystery Bunko Kadokawa Bunko Kadokawa Beans Bunko
2011	Goshikku: Barairo no Jinsei	GOSICK VII -Gosick: Rose Coloured Life-	Kadokawa Bunko
2011	Goshikkuesu: Fuyu no Sakurifaisu	GOSICKs IV -Gosicks: Winter's Sacrifice-	Kadokawa Bunko
2011	Goshikku: Kamigami no Tasogare	GOSICK VIII -Gosick: Twilight of the Gods-	Kadokawa Bunko	First volume: Second volume:

Mainstream novels

Sakuraba's mainstream novels have been released by a variety of publishers. The bulk of them have also been rereleased several years after their original publishing dates by different publishers.
Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas was the winner of the 60th Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 2007, and Watashi no Otoko won the 138th Naoki Prize in the latter half of the same year.

Year	Japanese Title	English Title	Publisher	ISBN
2005	Shōjo ni wa Mukanai Shokugyō	Careers Not Suitable for Girls	Tōkyō Sōgensha Mystery Frontier Sōgensuiri Bunko
2005	Burū Sukai	Blue Sky	Hayakawa Bunko JA Bunshun Bunko
2006	Shōjo Nanakamodo to Shichinin no Kawaisō na Otona	Girl Rowans and Seven People Make Cute Adults	Kadokawa Shoten Kadokawa Bunko
2006	Akakuchiba-ke no Densetsu	Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas	Tōkyō Sōgensha Sōgensuiri Bunko
2007	Seishun no Tame no Dokusha Kurabu	Reading Club for the Sake of Youth	Shinchosha Shinchō Bunko
2007	Watashi no Otoko	My Man	Bungeishunjū Bunshun Bunko
2008	Famirī Pōtoreito	Family Portrait	Kodansha
2009	Seitetsu Tenshi	Blacksmith Angel	Tōkyō Sōgensha
2010	Dōtoku to Iu Na no Shōnen	A Boy Named Moral	Kadokawa Shoten
2010	Fuse Gansaku: Satomi Hakkenden	The Fake Fuse: Satomi Hakkenden	Bungeishunjū
2011	Barabara Shitai no Yoru	Night of the Scattered Corpse	Shueisha
2012	Kizuato	Scar	Kodansha

Anthologized works

In addition to her full-length works, Sakuraba has contributed short stories to a number of literary anthologies.

Year	Japanese Title	English Title	Anthologized In	ISBN
2005	Bōkun	Tyrant	Igyō Korekushon: Obakeyashiki Grotesque Collection: Haunted House
2006	Shibō Yūgi	Blubber Games	Igyō Korekushon: Yami Denwa Grotesque Collection: Dark Phone
2006	Shōnen Bankoran! Yoru Aruku Inu	Boy Bencolin! Night Walking Dog	Misshitsu to Kiseki: J.D. Kā Seitan Hyakunen Kinen Ansorojī ー Locked Rooms and Miracles: J.D. Carr Hundred Year Anniversary Anthology
2008	Raitingu	Lighting	Sakuraba Kazuki: Monogataru Shōjo to Yajū Kazuki Sakuraba: To Tell of Girls and Beasts
2009	A	A	Mijikai Nemurinitsuku Mae ni III A While Before You Sleep III

Essay collections

Aside from her works of fiction, Sakuraba has written a number of essays that have been compiled into collection. Her first essay collection, Nidaime no Baka ni Tsukeru Kusuri, was published under the masculine pen name Sakuramaru Yamada.

Year	Japanese Title	English Title	Publisher	ISBN
1996	Nidaime no Baka ni Tsukeru Kusuri	Remedies for a Second Generation Fool	Ihatov Shuppan
2006	Sakuraba Kazuki Nikki: BLACK AND WHITE	Kazuki Sakuraba Diary: BLACK AND WHITE	Fujimi Shobo
2007	Sakuraba Kazuki Dokusha Nikki: Shōnen ni Nari, Hon o Kau no da.	Kazuki Sakuraba Reading Diary: If I Was a Boy, I Would Buy Books.	Tōkyō Sōgensha Sōgen Library
2008	Shoten wa Taimu Mashīn: Sakuraba Kazuki Dokusha Nikki	Bookstores are Time Machines: Kazuki Sakuraba Reading Diary	Tōkyō Sōgensha
2009	Okonomi no Hon, Nyūkashimashita: Sakuraba Kazuki Dokusha Nikki	My Favourite Books Have Arrived: Kazuki Sakuraba Reading Diary	Tōkyō Sōgensha

TV and film adaptations

; TV animeGosick
; Anime filmsFuse Teppō Musume no Torimonochō
; Live action filmsGirl's Blood

''My Man''