HAYASHI MARIKO

(1954–)

Novelist and essayist Hayashi Mariko was born in Yamanashi Prefecture. After graduating from Nihon University, she worked as a copywriter. Her professional debut came with the essay collection Runrun o katte ouchi ni kaero (Let’s Buy ‘Run-run’ and Head Home, 1982), which became a bestseller. She was awarded the Naoki Prize in 1985 and subsequently has won the Yoshikawa Eiji Prize and Shibata Renzaburo Prize. Her novels and essays focus on the challenges women face in their lives. Hayashi is currently on the selection committee of the Naoki Prize.