Nominees for the two most popular literary prizes in Japan: the Akutagawa Prize and the Naoki Prize have just been announced. Lucky winners will be revealed on the evening of 19th July. Check the authors and titles after the jump!

Among 5 nominees for the Akutagawa Award, 3 titles are nominated for the first time.

• Natsuko Imamura for “Ahiru“
• Hiroki Takahashi for “Tanzaku Nagashi“
• Shiru Che for “Jini no Pazuru“
• Sayaka Murata for “Konbini Ningen“
• Naocola Yamazaki for “Utsukushii Kyori“

Imamura, Che and Murata are first time nominees. Takahashi is nominated for the third time, while Yamazaki is a 5-time nominee.

The six Naoki Award nominees all have been nominated in the past. The titles are:

• Jun Ito  for “Tenkabito no Cha“
• Hiroshi Ogiwara for “Oka no mieru Rihatsuten“
• Yoshinobu Kadoi for “Ieyasu, Edo wo Tateru“
• Maha Harada for “Anmaku no Guernica“
• Kanae Minato for “Poison Daughter, Holy Mother“
• Honobu Yonezawa for “Shinjitsu no 10 meetoru temae“

Have you read any of the acknowledged titles, ARAMA? Are you into Japanese literature at all?

(via nhk.or.jp)