About the Author

AKIYUKI NOSAKA lost his mother at birth and was put into care by his father. His adoptive parents died in the American bombing of Kobe. Aged only fourteen, Nosaka was left orphaned and alone in war-ravaged Japan and saw his younger sister starve to death. After the war he made a living doing odd jobs and went on to become a lyricist, screenwriter, journalist, singer, novelist, fashion model and rugby club manager. Nosaka has written nearly 100 books. Grave of the Fireflies - largely auto-biographical - was awarded the Naoki Literary prize in 1967 and turned into an internationally acclaimed animation movie. Nosaka is a celebrity in Japan today, as a writer, a TV personality, a comedian, a singer and even a politician. MIKA PROVATA-CARLONE is an independent scholar, translator, editor, photographer and illustrator.

Reviews

One can only be shaken by these cruel and magnificent tales, which are also the most eloquent plea for peace imaginable L'Express Remarkable stories... They are dark but so beautiful, so profound; subtle and elegant. It is a book that will last all your life Irish Times A pleasure to hold and look at as well as to read... Moving snapshot of moments in the life of a shattered nation... These are unforgettable stories in a book to be treasured Children's Books Ireland