Kodansha has announced that Shigeaki Kato’s novel Alternate has been nominated for the 42nd Eiji Yoshikawa Literature Newcomer Award.

Alternate by Shigeaki Kato, published by Shinchosha

©Shinchosha

Shigeaki Kato is a member of the J-pop group NEWS. He made his debut as an author with Pink and Grey in January 2012 and has since gone on to publish seven novels.

His nomination for the 42nd Eiji Yoshikawa Literature Newcomer Award comes as no surprise, as within five days of Alternate‘s publication, the novel required additional printing. It was nominated for the 164th Naoki Prize and featured in numerous media publications. On January 5, 2021, it became a bestseller, breaking 100,000 sales. It went on to be nominated for the Hontai Prize on January 21. This makes Shigeaki Kato the first music idol to be nominated for both the legendary Naoki and Hontai awards. To date, Alternate has sold over 130,000 copies.

The 42nd Eiji Yoshikawa Literature Newcomer Award looks to novel publications made during the entire year of 2020, whether in newspapers, magazines, or book publications, and shines the spotlight on authors that have a bright future ahead of them. Past winners include Ryo Wada’s Murakami Kaizoku no Musume (35th Award), Mizuki Tsujimura’s Tsunagu (32nd Award), Koji Yanagi’s Joker Game (30th Award), Takako Sato’s Isshun no Kaze ni Nare (28th Award), and many more. The winner of the 42nd Award will be announced on March 2, 2021.

Shigeaki Kato | Comment

“I am overjoyed to not only have been nominated for the Naoki Prize and Hontai Prize, but the Eiji Yoshikawa Literature Newcomer Award now too. I feel overwhelmed with both shock and happiness at this unpredictable news, just like with the Naoki and Hontai Prizes. I’m so thankful that I’m at a loss for words. There’s still some time before they announce the winner, but I will ready myself and get started on writing my next piece.”

Alternate | Synopsis

The story of Alternate is set at a high school in Tokyo. It centres on three high school students—Iruru, Nazu, and Naoshi—whose lives intersect through a matching app called Alternate. It looks at themes of love, friendship, family, and connection through the digital world through an emotional tale.