Shogo Imamura (Japanese: 今村翔吾, Hepburn: Imamura Shōgo, born June 18, 1984) is a Japanese writer. He is best known for writing historical fiction novels. He won the 166th Naoki Prize in 2022.
While in fifth grade, Imamura read Sanada Taiheiki by Shōtarō Ikenami, which lead him to consider pursuing a career as a writer.[3] After going through health issues in 2013 and 2014, he decided to start writing in his spare time.[3][7] In 2016, Imamura won the Izu Literary Award [ja] Grand Prize for Kire, Hikogoro.[6] Later that year, Imamura won the Kyushu Saga Popular Literature Award [ja] for Kitsune no Shiro. Kenzo Kitakata, who was on the selection committee for the award, recommended to an editor at Shodensha to publish a work by Imamura. Shodensha published Hikuicho: Ushuboro Tobigumi in 2017, which was Imamura's first published work.[8]
In February 2018, Imamura quit his job at the Moriyama Buried Cultural Properties Center to pursue writing full time.[6] His work Warabe no Kami was nominated for the 160th Naoki Prize in 2019.[9] He was nominated for the 163rd Naoki Prize in 2020 for Jinkan.[6] He won the 166th Naoki Prize in 2022 for Saiō no Tate.[10] Later that year, he started screenwriting with Saturday wa Nanisuru!? [ja], a Japanese television drama.[11] He began appearing on the radio show Imamura Shōgo × Yamazaki Reina no Itotteseshete [ja] in September 2022 with former Nogizaka46 member Rena Yamazaki [ja].[12] In 2023, Imamura founded Hon Mirai, an organization to promote young writers.[13]
In 2021, Imamura purchased Kinoshita Book Center, a struggling bookstore in Minoh, Osaka. After undergoing renovations, it was reopened on November 1, 2021.[3] Imamura opened Saga no Shoten, a bookstore in the Saga Station, in December 2023.[14]
Bibliography
Imamura's works generally fall into the historical fiction genre.[3][6] Imamura described his style of writing as "writing without a plot" and only a desired ending for the story in mind.[15] Imamura has cited the works of Shōtarō Ikenami and Ryōtarō Shiba as influences on his work.[3]