The candidates for the 142nd Akutagawa Prize (a major award for new writers of fiction) were announced on January 5. Among the five authors nominated were the Omori brothers, for their novel Inu wa itsumo ashimoto ni ite [The dog always at my heels].
As their pen-name suggests, the Omori brothers’ works are jointly authored by two brothers. Their nomination has drawn attention as the first time that a co-authored work has been shortlisted in the history of the Akutagawa Prize.
The younger of the two brothers (currently 33 years of age) graduated from Kokushikan’s Faculty of Law in 1999. He went on to work at a company in the mental health service sector, and at the same time began writing together with his older brother, a nurse. They made their literary debut last year when the Akutagawa-nominated novel was awarded the 46th Bungei Prize, sponsored by the publishing house Kawade Shobo Shinsha.

▼The Omori brothers as interviewed by Kokushikan’s Public Relations Section (the younger brother is on the left)

▼The authors with their work