Rider signs first English translation of Japanese classic

Ebury imprint Rider has acquired Genzaburo Yoshino's How Do You Live?, a bestselling Japanese classic about what really matters in life, publishing in English for the first time thanks to a translation by Bruno Navasky.

Publishing director Olivia Morris acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Ginger Clark on behalf of Steven Salpeter at Curtis Brown. How Do You Live? will be published in April 2021 as a “beautiful, highly giftable” hardback, alongside Algonquin in the US, and includes a foreword from Neil Gaiman.

A Studio Ghibli film about a character who is inspired by the book is set for release in 2022, created by celebrated anime director Hayao Miyazaki who came out of retirement for the project.

The publisher said: “How Do You Live? tells the story of 15-year-old Copper as he struggles to find his place in the world following the death of his father. The teenager turns to his wise uncle and together they embark on a journey of philosophical discovery and personal growth, navigating life’s biggest questions in a heartwarming series of lessons from the old to the young. As the world recalibrates in the shadow of the pandemic, this charming classic provides a timely reflection on what it means to live a good life.”

Yoshino, who died in 1981, was a writer, editor and journalist. In 1935 he was appointed editor-in-chief of the 16-book series A Library for Young Japanese Nationals. How Do You Live? is the final book in the series and went on become one of Japan’s best loved classics with millions of copies sold. The graphic novel edition was Japan’s top selling non-fiction book of the year when it published in 2018.