Soji Shimada, Japan’s Man of Mystery, became the eighth award-winning Japanese author to join Red Circle in 2019.Soji Shimada the master of the postmodern whodunnit who originally wanted to become a painter but turned instead to reinventing the art of mystery writing, has become the eighth author to join Red Circle Authors, the curated group of award-winning Japanese writers.
Shimada’s debut novel, The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, now ranked among the top five best locked-room mysteries published worldwide, became an instant classic, transforming him into Japan’s Man of Mystery and one of the country’s bestselling authors.
Shimada showed a flare for writing crime fiction and detective stories from a very young age, and was already building up a fan base in primary school, where he would read his short stories to his classmates in their lunch breaks.
It wasn’t, however, until he was in his mid-twenties that he thought writing might actually be a possible career option. This newly forged ambition led to Shimada writing his first novel, a massive bestseller, when he turned 30, turning Shimada and his detective Kiyoshi Mitarai into Japanese household names.
In 2009, Shimada was awarded the prestigious Japan Mystery Literature Award in recognition of his lifelong contribution to the genre.
Next year, Red Circle will publish an original new work by Shimada in its critically acclaimed Red Circle Minis series, launched last year.
This new work will be published in English translation before any other language including Japanese as part of Red Circle Authors Limited’s English-first publishing strategy.
John Clegg, poet and bookseller, pointing at the three first Minis in the series Red Circle Minis on sale at the London Review Bookshop (LRB). Photogragh: Red Circle Authors Limited.
About Red Circle:Red Circle Authors Limited is a specialist publishing and communications company that conducts bespoke projects on behalf of a carefully selected and curated group of leading Japanese authors. Red Circle showcases Japan’s best creative writing. For more information on Red Circle, Japanese literature, and Red Circle authors please visit: www.redcircleauthors.com.-
About Soji Shimada:Soji Shimada is the master of postmodern whodunnits who originally wanted to become a painter turned instead to reinventing the art of mystery writing. His debut novel, The Tokyo Zodiac Murders, now ranked among the top five best locked-room mysteries published worldwide, became an instant classic, transforming him into Japan’s Man of Mystery and one of the country's bestselling authors.
