Opening Speech: Hiromi Kawakami

Hiromi Kawakami will set the tone of the 2024 JILF x Jaktent with her poetic insights and her commentaries about ecocriticism, and rich personal storytelling offering sustainable practices within the literary world. The opening speech from Hiromi Kawakami weaves this year’s festival’s themes on literature and ecological responsibility.

An acclaimed Japanese author, Hiromi Kawakami is known for her delicate narratives that explore human relationships, nature, and the subtle beauty of everyday life. She will open JILF x Jaktent with a speech that celebrates the power of literature to illuminate everyday life, from her depictions about the earthquakes in several of her works. Known for her simple yet profound narrative, her works explore the subtle nuances of daily existence. With celebrated works like Strange Weather in Tokyo, Dragon Palace, The Brief History of the Glory of the House of Kageyama, and Where the Wild Things Are, she invites readers to find beauty in ordinary moments.