Hunchback 
 by Saou Ichikawa

Winner of the 169th Akutagawa Prize and over 205,000 copies sold in 3 months.

Born with a congenital muscle disorder, protagonist Isawa Shaka has severe spine curvature and uses an electric wheelchair and ventilator. Much of her daily life is confined within the four corners of her small room in a care home: she takes an e-learning course, writes aimless articles online and donates all her earnings, posts stories on an erotic fiction site for women, and tweets from an anonymous account (“If I have another life, I want to be a high-end prostitute”). One day, things take an unexpected turn when she asks her new male carer to be her sperm donor in exchange for a large sum.

Packing a punch in the manner of Hiroko Oyamada’s slim works, Hunchback has shaken the Japanese literary world with its skilful depiction of the physical body and powerful narrative infused by sharp, ironic humour. It is a groundbreaking novel offering an important insight into the physical and societal difficulties faced by disabled individuals, as well as the anger and surprising desires of a woman confronting societal norms.

​