John Bester
Encyclopedia
John Bester born and educated in England
, is one of the foremost translators of modern Japanese fiction
. He is a graduate
of the University of London
's School of Oriental and African Studies
.
John Bester received the 1990 Noma Award
for the Translation of Japanese Literature for Acts of Worship
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, is one of the foremost translators of modern Japanese fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
. He is a graduate
Alumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
's School of Oriental and African Studies
School of Oriental and African Studies
The School of Oriental and African Studies is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the University of London...
.
Works
- Classic Bonsai of Japan (New York: Kodansha International, 1989, ISBN 0870119338).
Translations
Among his translations are:- Masterworks of Ukiyo-EUkiyo-e' is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and the 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters...
: UtamaroUtamarowas a Japanese printmaker and painter, who is considered one of the greatest artists of woodblock prints . His name was romanized as Outamaro. He is known especially for his masterfully composed studies of women, known as bijinga...
by Muneshige Narazaki and Sadao Kikuchi (translation published in 1968). - Black RainBlack Rain (novel)is a novel by Japanese author Masuji Ibuse. Ibuse began serializing Black Rain in the magazine Shincho in January 1965. The novel is based on historical records of the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. However, Ibuse does not refer to social or political considerations that led...
by Masuji IbuseMasuji Ibusewas a Japanese author.-Life and work:Ibuse was born in 1898 to a landowning family in the village of Kamo which is now part of Fukuyama, Hiroshima.At the age of 19 he started studying at Waseda University in Tokyo...
(translation published in 1969). - Sun and SteelSun and Steel (essay)Sun and Steel: Art, Action and Ritual Death is a book by Yukio Mishima. It is an autobiographical essay, a memoir of the author's relationship to his body...
by Yukio MishimaYukio Mishimawas the pen name of , a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor and film director, also remembered for his ritual suicide by seppuku after a failed coup d'état...
(autobiography, translation published in 1970). - The Waiting Years by Fumiko Enchi (translation published in 1971).
- The Anatomy of DependenceThe Anatomy of Dependenceis a non-fiction book written by Japanese psychoanalyst Takeo Doi. It was originally published in Japanese in 1971, and an English translation by John Bester was later published in 1973....
by Takeo DoiTakeo Doiwas a Japanese academic, psychoanalyst and author.-Early life:Doi was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1920. He was a graduate of the University of Tokyo.-Career:...
(translation published in 1973). - The Silent CryThe Silent CryThe Silent Cry is a novel by the Nobel Prize winning Japanese author Kenzaburō Ōe, first published in Japanese in 1967 and awarded the Tanizaki Prize that year.-Plot summary:The novel tells the story of two brothers in the early 1960s: the narrator Mitsusaburo The Silent Cry (Japanese 万延元年のフットボール;...
by Kenzaburo OeKenzaburo Oeis a Japanese author and a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. His works, strongly influenced by French and American literature and literary theory, deal with political, social and philosophical issues including nuclear weapons, social non-conformism and existentialism.Ōe was awarded...
(translation published in 1974). - The Dark Room by Junnosuke Yoshiyuki (translation published in 1975).
- The Reluctant Admiral by Hiroyuki AgawaHiroyuki Agawais a Japanese author born on December 24, 1920, in Hiroshima, Japan. He is known for his fiction centered on World War II, as well as his biographies and essays.- Literary career :...
(biography of Isoroku YamamotoIsoroku Yamamotowas a Japanese Naval Marshal General and the commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet during World War II, a graduate of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy and a student of Harvard University ....
, commander in chief of the Imperial Japanese NavyImperial Japanese NavyThe Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
, translation published in 1979) - Salamander and Other Stories by Masuji IbuseMasuji Ibusewas a Japanese author.-Life and work:Ibuse was born in 1898 to a landowning family in the village of Kamo which is now part of Fukuyama, Hiroshima.At the age of 19 he started studying at Waseda University in Tokyo...
(translation published in 1981). - Acts of Worship: Seven Stories by Yukio Mishima (translation published in 1989).
- Once and Forever, the tales of Kenji Miyazawa by Kenji MiyazawaKenji Miyazawawas a Japanese poet and author of children's literature in the early Shōwa period of Japan. He was also known as a devout Buddhist, vegetarian and social activist.-Early life:...
(includes Gauche the CellistGauche the Cellistis a short story by the Japanese author Kenji Miyazawa. It is about Gauche, a struggling small town cellist who is inspired by his interactions with anthropomorphized animals to gain insight into music. The story has been translated into English and Italian, and was adapted into a critically...
, translation published in 1993). - Confessions of a YakuzaConfessions of a Yakuzais a book by Japanese doctor and author Junichi Saga . It recounts a series of stories from the life of Eiji Ijichi, a former Yakuza boss, as told to his doctor in the last months of his life...
by Junichi Saga (reminiscenes of an YakuzaYakuza, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
boss, translation published in 1995. - A Boy Called H by Kappa Senoh, translation published in 1999.
John Bester received the 1990 Noma Award
Noma Award
The Noma Award for Publishing in Africa is a $10,000 prize for outstanding African writers and scholars who publish in Africa. Established in 1979, the award is annual and given to any new book published in three categories: literature, juvenile and scholarly...
for the Translation of Japanese Literature for Acts of Worship
Acts of Worship
is a short story by Japanese writer Yukio Mishima, and the title of a collection of his short stories. The collection was translated into English by John Bester. The title story is the tale of a Professor's visit to three shrines, accompanied by his shy submissive middle-aged housekeeper, and his...
.