Singer-songwriter Lee Rang wins Japan's Nagai Kafu Literary Award

Singer-songwriter and author Lee Rang has been named the winner of Japan's 2026 Nagai Kafu Literary Award. The publisher Iyagjangsu announced on the 7th that Lee's essay, "The History of Madwomen: Mothers and Daughters," was selected for the award. This marks the first time a South Korean author has received this honor in the Japanese literary community.

The award ceremony will be held on November 2 in Ichikawa, Japan. Lee plans to attend the ceremony in person to receive the award. The prize money is 1 million yen (approximately 9 million KRW).

A triumph over masters of Japanese literature

The Nagai Kafu Literary Award is a comprehensive literary prize established to honor the literary spirit of Nagai Kafu (1879–1959), a master of modern Japanese literature. Established last year by the city of Ichikawa in Chiba Prefecture and the literary magazine 'Mita Bungaku,' the award evaluates all literary works published in Japan over a one-year period, including poetry, novels, essays, criticism, and plays.

This year's nominees included prominent figures such as Japan's leading thinker Hiroki Azuma, 2022 Akutagawa Prize-winning novelist Iko Idogawa, non-fiction writer Kotaro Sawaki, and artist Kishodai Kageyama. Lee was selected as the final winner after competing against these distinguished writers. The inaugural recipient of this award was Professor Jun Tanaka of the University of Tokyo, author of the critical work 'On Arata Isozaki,' which synthesizes the thoughts of the architect Arata Isozaki.

'Burnout Death': A chronicle of women's lives in the family

The winning work, "The History of Madwomen: Mothers and Daughters," explores the lives of women within a family, tracing the lineage from mother to sister and finally to the author herself. It records the violence and trauma inflicted across generations on women under a patriarchal family system. In particular, it captures the pain the author experienced following the sudden death of her older sister. Lee defined her sister's death—after she had surrendered her entire body and mind to the pressures of family and society—with the term 'Sojinsa' (burnout death).

Hitomi Kanehara, an Akutagawa Prize-winning author and member of the judging panel, commented on the work: "When I want to die, when I cannot forgive, when I seek salvation, or when I cannot bear to look at a loved one, I will keep returning to this book until the day I die." The Japanese translation was handled by Mariko Saito.

From a sell-out in Japan to a bestseller in Korea

This essay was published in Japan before it was released in Korea. After its initial release in Japan last November, the book set a record by selling out its first print run of 5,000 copies within just a few days. The positive reception in Japan carried over to Korea. Since its publication in Korea this April, it has climbed to number one on the essay bestseller lists and reached its fourth printing just eight days after release.

As a musician, Lee has also received accolades such as Best Folk Song, Best Folk Album, and Album of the Year at the Korean Music Awards. Having majored in film directing at the Korea National University of Arts, she also works as a director for music videos, short films, and web dramas. Her published works include 'I Became in My 30s,' 'I Wonder What Kind of Person This Is,' 'Naming the Duck,' 'Even for Work You Love, You Need Money,' and 'Playing the Guitar Softly.' The details of this award and the full judging commentary will be published in the 165th issue of 'Mita Bungaku,' scheduled for release on the 29th of next month.