[Reading about Japan at I-House Library]
Ambassador Lars Vargö reads from Out by Natsuo Kirino

*This event has finished.

  • Reader: Lars Vargö (Swedish Ambassador to Japan)
  • Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2014, 7:00 pm
  • Venue: The Library, International House of Japan
  • Language: English (without Japanese interpretation)
  • Admission: IHJ members & Library members: Free, non-members: 500 yen
  • (reservations required)

Natsuo Kirino (1951- ) is a Japanese novelist and a leading figure in the recent boom of female writers of crime fiction. Her most famous novel, Out, received the Mystery Writers of Japan Award, and was the first finalist for a Japanese writer in the Edgar Awards. Her works are distributed inmore than 20 countries. In her works, she frequently depicts marginalized people and explores social problems. In this session, Dr. Lars Vargö, Swedish Ambassador to Japan, will read from Out.
Dr. Vargö is also a specialist in Japanese history, has translated Japanese literature including Out into Swedish, and also founded the Tokyo International Literary Society (TILS) last year. In the session, along with the reading Dr. Vargö will talk about Japan today, from the viewpoint of translator and one experienced in international affairs and cultural exchange.

Lars Vargö

Photo: Lars Vargo
(Photo: Johan Ödmann)
Lars Vargö, a Ph.D. in Japanese Studies, is Swedish Ambassador to Japan, and Chairman of the Tokyo International Literary Society (TILS). His publications include The deceitful tranquility―Japan then and now (Carlssons, 1992), The face of another by Kobo Abe, translation Leif Janzon and Lars Vargö (Lind och Co, 2004), and I remember the crickets―Haiku poems by Natsume Sôseki, translation by Lars Vargö (Bambulunden, 2010). Awarded the Order of Sacred Treasure, Gold and Silver Star (1998), Ichikawa City Cultural Award (2003).

This session is held with permission from Office Kirino.