Banner advertisement from the website of the Italian magazine, Oggi, promoting its series ‘Love Library’ within which Takuji Ichikawa’s novel was published in March 2020Oggi, one of Italy’s oldest and most popular weekly magazines, which is modelled on the American magazine Life, launched a special Italian language edition of Takuji Ichikawa’s novel Ima Ai ni Yukimasu (Be With You) in March.
Oggi published the novel by the multi-million selling Japanese author under the Italian title Quando cadrà la pioggia tornerò as the 13th novel in its 20 book series Biblioteca dell’amore, ‘Love Library’.
The books in the series are published as supplements to the popular national magazine, which is read in print and online by millions in Italy.
Ima Ai ni Yukimasu (Be With You) Ichikawa’s second novel, originally published in Japanese in 2003, quickly became a blockbuster, selling more than a million copies in Japan, putting Ichikawa on the Japanese literary map.
This latest publication in Italy, the seventh largest international publishing market and the fourth largest in Europe after Germany, United Kingdom and France, is expected to add new momentum to the growing awareness in Ichikawa, an author known for the power of his imagination and how he creatively ignores traditional boundaries.
Amazingly, the publication of Be With You, has in fact, triggered its very own cycle of international creativity by sparking the imagination of others. Leading to the creation of a film and two international remakes, a television drama, and a manga and more than 10 foreign language translation editions, including French, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Vietnamese, Arabic and Korean editions to list just a few.
Cover of the Italian edition of Takuji Ichikawa’s novel in the ‘Love Library’ series Ima Ai ni Yukimasu (Be With You) published in March 2020Oggi describes its ‘Love Library’ series as: “a selection of the most beautiful and appreciated romantic books of recent years from the pens of the most renowned authors. Stories of unexpected encounters, secret passions, rediscovered loves and bonds that endure. Because love has and comes in many forms.”
Other authors in the series include: Barbara Taylor Bradford, Kathryn Hughes, Mark Levy and Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Last year Ichikawa joined Red Circle Authors the curated group of award-winning Japanese authors – leading to the publication of a new original work, The Refugees’ Daughter by Ichikawa in the London based publisher’s highly acclaimed series Red Circle Minis.
The Refugees’ Daughter, which was published in English before any other language including Japanese or Italian, has been described by reviewers and critics as:
“a masterful allegory”
“engaging sci-fi tale with a pointed message: the world’s refugees are not a threat, a danger, or anything to fear – they are the hope for our collective future”
“an intriguing novella that explores the notion of how we can escape from the climate disaster we have created – and comes up with a rather surprising answer”
Oggi means today in English. The magazine based in Milan is owned by the RCS Media Group. Ichikawa’s novel, the only one by a Japanese author in the ‘Love Library’ series was translated into Italian by Marcella Mariotti, a professor at Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia.
The first title in Oggi’s series by Sveva Casati Modignani was published in December last year and the final title by Veronica Henry will come out in May this year completing the 20 book series.
The Refugees’ Daughter by Takuji Ichikawa on sale at the Brick Lane Bookshop in London. Kalina Dimitrova, bookseller & cellist, is pointing at the grey cover of Ichikawa’s novella between two other titles in the Red Circle Mins series.