Heaven

Shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2022

From the bestselling author of Breasts and Eggs and international literary sensation Mieko Kawakami comes a sharp and illuminating novel about a fourteen-year-old boy subjected to relentless bullying.

In Heaven, a fourteen-year-old boy is tormented for having a lazy eye. Instead of resisting, he chooses to suffer in silence. The only person who understands what he is going through is a female classmate, Kojima, who experiences similar treatment at the hands of her bullies. Providing each other with immeasurable consolation at a time in their lives when they need it most, the two young friends grow closer than ever. But what, ultimately, is the nature of a friendship when your shared bond is terror?

Unflinching yet tender, sharply observed, intimate and multi-layered, this simple yet profound novel stands as yet another dazzling testament to Mieko Kawakami’s uncontainable talent.

TIME’s 100 Must-Read Books of the Year
‘Mieko Kawakami is a genius’ - Naoise Dolan, author of Exciting Times
‘An expertly told, deeply unsettling tale of adolescent violence’ - Vogue

Translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett and David Boyd.