Hunchback

WINNER OF THE BUNGAKUKAI PRIZE FOR NEW WRITERS AND THE AKUTAGAWA PRIZE

LONGLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE 2025

Born with a congenital muscle disorder, Shaka Isawa has severe spine curvature and uses an electric wheelchair and ventilator. Within the limits of her care home, her life is lived online: she studies, she tweets indignantly, she posts outrageous stories on an erotica website. One day, a new male carer reveals he has read it all...

Written by the first disabled author to win Japan’s most prestigious literary award and acclaimed instantly as one of the most important Japanese novels of the twenty-first century, Hunchback is an extraordinary, thrilling glimpse into the desire and darkness of a woman placed at humanity’s edge.

‘Uproariously funny, unflinching, and merciless’ —Mariana Enriquez, author of The Dangers of Smoking in Bed

‘Filled with unforgettable insight’ —Sayaka Murata, author of Convenience Store Woman

About the Author

Saou Ichikawa graduated from the School of Human Sciences, Waseda University. Her bestselling debut novel Hunchback won the 128th Bungakukai Prize for New Writers and the 169th Akutagawa Prize. She is the first author with a physical disability to receive the Akutagawa Prize, Japan's premier literary award. 

About the Translator

Polly Barton is a Japanese-English translator and writer based in the UK. Her translations include Butter by Asako Yuzuki, So We Look to the Sky by Misumi Kubo, and Spring Garden by Tomoka Shibasaki. Her translation of Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai was awarded a 2023-2024 Lindsley and Masao Miyoshi Translation Prize. 

Dimensions: 13 x 1 x 19.8 cm