is a Japanese author of novels and light novels, and Naoki Prize winner.

Biography Sakuraba was born in Shimane Prefecture on the 26th of July 1971. She, however, grew up in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture.

She started writing novels when she was in the fourth or fifth grade of elementary school. In the library, Sakuraba often met a girl who she befriended that was writing something like a novel, so she decided to do the same, writing her first novel in her notebook.

During her junior and senior high school years, Sakuraba skipped classes and cram school to read books. She states that she was seemingly unable to and hated studying. She graduated from Yonago Higashi High School and moved to Tokyo for university. During university, she repeatedly tried but failed to write anything substantial. Sakuraba continued to read books however and had a part-time job.

In 1993, she won the DENiM New Writer's Award. In 1999, Sakuraba's novel Yozora ni, Manten no Hoshi (later retitled Loneliness Guardian: AD2015 Isolated Town) received an honorable mention in the 1st Famitsu Entertainment Award in the novel category. Novelist Usagi Nakamura was on the selection committee and recommended the work, barely making the selection and allowing Sakuraba to debut. After her debut, there was a period of stagnation where Sakuraba did not publish much and the work she did publish did not sell well.

In 2003, Sakuraba made her first big break with the light novel series Gosick. In addition, her novels Suitei Shōjo and A Lollypop or A Bullet published in 2004 were highly acclaimed, and in 2005, her novel Shōjo ni wa Mukanai Shokugyō attracted attention as her first work for the general public.

In 2007, she won the 60th Mystery Writers of Japan Award in the long and serial short story category for her work Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas published in 2006. The same work was nominated for the 28th Eiji Yoshikawa Literary Newcomer Award. In 2008, she won the 138th Naoki Prize for her novel Watashi no Otoko.

Works in English translation Gosick series Gosick, Volume 1 (Tokyopop. 2008. ) Gosick, Volume 2: The Crime That Has No Name (Tokyopop. 2010. ) Other Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas (original title: Akakuchiba-ke no Densetsu), translated Jocelyne Allen (Haikasoru, 2015)

Awards and nominations Japanese Awards 2007 – Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel: Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas 2007 – Nominee for Yoshikawa Eiji Prize for New Writers: Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas 2007 – Nominee for Naoki Prize: Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas 2007 – Naoki Prize: Watashi no Otoko (My Man)

U.S. Awards 2016 – Longlisted for the 2015 James Tiptree, Jr. Award: Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas

Bibliography

Gosick series

Books in the GOSICK series up to GOSICKs III were published originally by Fujimi Mystery Bunko; the publishing dates listed correspond to this printing. Between September 2009 and January 2011, these books were republished by Kadokawa Bunko. From February to November 2011 they were then republished by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Starting with GOSICK VII the books have been published by Kadokawa Bunko exclusively.

Royalties from the first edition printing of GOSICK VII were donated to the Japanese Red Cross to aid victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Year Japanese Title English Title Publisher ISBN 2003 Goshikku GOSICK -Gosick- Fujimi Mystery BunkoKadokawa BunkoKadokawa Beans Bunko 2004 Goshikku: Sono Tsumi wa Namonaki GOSICK II -Gosick: Those Sins are Nameless- Fujimi Mystery BunkoKadokawa BunkoKadokawa Beans Bunko 2004 Goshikku: Aoi Bara no Shita de GOSICK III -Gosick: Beneath the Blue Rose- Fujimi Mystery BunkoKadokawa BunkoKadokawa Beans Bunko 2005 Goshikku: Kuja o Daiben Seyo GOSICK IV -Gosick: Speaking on Behalf of Fools- Fujimi Mystery BunkoKadokawa BunkoKadokawa Beans Bunko 2005 Goshikkuesu: Haru Kitaru Shinigami GOSICKs -Gosicks: The Death God that Came with Spring- Fujimi Mystery BunkoKadokawa BunkoKadokawa Beans Bunko 2005 Goshikku: Beruzebubu no Zugai GOSICK V -Gosick: Belzebub's Skull- Fujimi Mystery BunkoKadokawa BunkoKadokawa Beans Bunko 2006 Goshikkuesu: Natsu kara Toozakaru Ressha GOSICKs II -Gosicks: The Train Moving Away From Summer- Fujimi Mystery BunkoKadokawa BunkoKadokawa Beans Bunko 2006 Goshikku: Kamen Butōkai no Yoru GOSICK VI -Gosick: The Night of the Masquerade Ball- Fujimi Mystery BunkoKadokawa BunkoKadokawa Beans Bunko 2007 Goshikuesu: Aki no Hana no Omoide GOSICKs III -Gosicks: Memories of Autumn Flowers- Fujimi Mystery BunkoKadokawa BunkoKadokawa Beans Bunko 2011 Goshikku: Barairo no Jinsei GOSICK VII -Gosick: Rose Coloured Life- Kadokawa Bunko 2011 Goshikkuesu: Fuyu no Sakurifaisu GOSICKs IV -Gosicks: Winter's Sacrifice- Kadokawa Bunko 2011 Goshikku: Kamigami no Tasogare GOSICK VIII -Gosick: Twilight of the Gods- Kadokawa Bunko First volume: Second volume:

Other light novels Year Japanese Title English Title Publisher ISBN 1999 Ronrinesu Gādian AD2015 Kakuri Toshi Loneliness Guardian: AD2015 Isolated Town Famitsū Bunko 2001 Runatikku Dorīmā Lunatic Dreamer EX Novels 2002 Girl's Guard: Kimi no Uta wa Boku no Uta Girl's Guard: Your Song Is My Song Famitsū Bunko 2002 B-EDGE AGE: Shishi-tachi wa Arisu no Niwa de B-EDGE AGE: The Shishi Are in Alice's Garden Fujimi Mystery Bunko 2002 B-EDGE AGE: Shishi-tachi wa Noa no Hakobune de B-EDGE AGE: The Shishi Are in Noah's Ark Fujimi Mystery Bunko 2002 Takeda-kun no Koibito Takeda-kun's Lover Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko 2003 Aka × Pinku Red × Pink Famitsū Bunko 2004 Suitei Shōjo Presumptuous Girl Famitsū Bunko 2004 Satōgashi no Dangan wa Uchinukenai A Lollypop or A Bullet(lit. Candy Bullets Can't Hit Anything) Fujimi Mystery Bunko 2005 Kōya no Koi Dai Ichi Bu catch the tail Love of the Wilderness, Volume One: catch the tail Famitsū Bunko 2006 Kōya no Koi Dai Ni Bu bump of love Love of the Wilderness, Volume Two: bump of love Famitsū Bunko

Mainstream novels Sakuraba's mainstream novels have been released by a variety of publishers. The bulk of them have also been rereleased several years after their original publishing dates by different publishers.

Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas was the winner of the 60th Mystery Writers of Japan Award in 2007, and Watashi no Otoko (My Man) won the 138th Naoki Prize in the latter half of the same year.

Year Japanese Title English Title Publisher ISBN 2005 Shōjo ni wa Mukanai Shokugyō An Unsuitable Job for a Girl Tōkyō Sōgensha Mystery FrontierSōgensuiri Bunko 2005 Burū Sukai Blue Sky Hayakawa Bunko JABunshun Bunko 2006 Shōjo Nanakamodo to Shichinin no Kawaisō na Otona Girl Rowans and Seven People Make Cute Adults Kadokawa ShotenKadokawa Bunko 2006 Akakuchiba-ke no Densetsu Red Girls: The Legend of the Akakuchibas Tōkyō SōgenshaSōgensuiri Bunko 2007 Seishun no Tame no Dokusha Kurabu Reading Club for the Sake of Youth ShinchoshaShinchō Bunko 2007 Watashi no Otoko My Man BungeishunjūBunshun Bunko 2008 Famirī Pōtoreito Family Portrait Kodansha 2009 Seitetsu Tenshi Blacksmith Angel Tōkyō Sōgensha 2010 Dōtoku to Iu Na no Shōnen A Boy Named Moral Kadokawa Shoten 2010 Fuse Gansaku: Satomi Hakkenden The Fake Fuse: Satomi Hakkenden Bungeishunjū 2011 Barabara Shitai no Yoru Night of the Scattered Corpse Shueisha 2012 Kizuato Scar Kodansha

Anthologized works In addition to her full-length works, Sakuraba has contributed short stories to a number of literary anthologies.

Year Japanese Title English Title Anthologized In ISBN 2005 Bōkun Tyrant Igyō Korekushon: ObakeyashikiGrotesque Collection: Haunted House 2006 Shibō Yūgi Blubber Games Igyō Korekushon: Yami DenwaGrotesque Collection: Dark Phone 2006 Shōnen Bankoran! Yoru Aruku Inu Boy Bencolin! Night Walking Dog Misshitsu to Kiseki: J.D. Kā Seitan Hyakunen Kinen AnsorojīーLocked Rooms and Miracles: J.D. Carr Hundred Year Anniversary Anthology 2008 Raitingu Lighting Sakuraba Kazuki: Monogataru Shōjo to YajūKazuki Sakuraba: To Tell of Girls and Beasts 2009 A A Mijikai Nemurinitsuku Mae ni IIIA While Before You Sleep III

Essay collections Aside from her works of fiction, Sakuraba has written a number of essays that have been compiled into collection. Her first essay collection, Nidaime no Baka ni Tsukeru Kusuri, was published under the masculine pen name .

Year Japanese Title English Title Publisher ISBN 1996 Nidaime no Baka ni Tsukeru Kusuri Remedies for a Second Generation Fool Ihatov Shuppan 2006 Sakuraba Kazuki Nikki: BLACK AND WHITE Kazuki Sakuraba Diary: BLACK AND WHITE Fujimi Shobo 2007 Sakuraba Kazuki Dokusha Nikki: Shōnen ni Nari, Hon o Kau no da. Kazuki Sakuraba Reading Diary: If I Was a Boy, I Would Buy Books. Tōkyō SōgenshaSōgen Library 2008 Shoten wa Taimu Mashīn: Sakuraba Kazuki Dokusha Nikki Bookstores are Time Machines: Kazuki Sakuraba Reading Diary Tōkyō Sōgensha 2009 Okonomi no Hon, Nyūkashimashita: Sakuraba Kazuki Dokusha Nikki My Favourite Books Have Arrived: Kazuki Sakuraba Reading Diary Tōkyō Sōgensha

TV and film adaptations TV anime Gosick (2011)

Anime films Fuse Teppō Musume no Torimonochō (2012)

Live action films Girl's Blood (2014) My Man (2014)

References

External links Kazuki Sakuraba Official Site (in Japanese) J'Lit | Authors : Kazuki Sakuraba | Books from Japan