Emi Yagi

Yuki Tejima

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Diary of a Void

When the Museum is Closed

Discover the Penguin books that shaped us

A dreamlike take on desire, loneliness, and the transformative power of being perceived by others

I was captivated by Rika's strange, frozen world, filled with movement and passion - a perfectly contained and luminous story that reveals a whole world of desire and possibility, right at the heart of loneliness

I quickly became addicted and found myself thinking about it long after I had finished

Filled with comedy, yet it constantly makes the reader question societal norms

Effortlessly blends the everyday with the fantastical. A celebration of non-conformity and freedom from society’s constraints… I found it completely gripping

Refreshing and unpredictable. I would recommend this book to those who want a short but thought-provoking read

Delightful if at times unsettling, this is a book that I’m sure will stick with me

Strange and surreal and sad and fun all at the same time

Beautifully translated, lyrical and enchanting

A refreshing addition to the Japanese magical realism genre…This was a fun, charming little read with a totally unique plot… If you’ve ever struggled with self-doubt, anxiety or just feeling like you don’t quite belong you’ll relate to and enjoy this read

When Rika Horauchi is offered an unusual new part-time job, she never expected to fall in love. 
 
Rika has been tasked with talking to Venus, to keep her company when the museum is closed on Mondays. As Venus comes to life in the quiet of their surroundings, she opens up new worlds for Rika, and they speak about everything. But when the museum’s curator, Hashibami, makes it clear he wants to keep Venus for himself, what will Rika do? 
 
When the Museum is Closed is by turns charming, funny and surprising, a love story about our perceptions of beauty, overcoming loneliness and breaking free.

A joyful queer love story from the author of Japanese cult hit DIARY OF A VOID 
 
When Rika Horauchi is offered an unusual new part-time job, she never expected to fall in love. 
 
Rika has been tasked with talking to Venus, to keep her company when the museum is closed on Mondays. As Venus comes to life in the quiet of their surroundings, she opens up new worlds for Rika, and they speak about everything. But when the museum’s curator, Hashibami, makes it clear he wants to keep Venus for himself, what will Rika do? 
 
When the Museum is Closed is by turns charming, funny and surprising, a love story about our perceptions of beauty, overcoming loneliness and breaking free. 
 
Translated by Yuki Tejima 
 
 
Praise for Emi Yagi's fiction: 
 
'You'll love Yagi's writing' STYLIST 
'Subversive, surreal' RED 
'Endlessly strange, funny and meaningful' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 
'Delightful' ROWAN HISAYO BUCHANAN 
'Darkly funny and surprisingly tender' KIRSTY LOGAN 
'Luminous' ROSIE PRICE

Emi Yagi (Author) 
Emi Yagi is an editor at a women’s magazine in Japan. She was born in 1988 and lives in Tokyo. Her first novel and international cult hit, Diary of a Void, won the Osamu Dazai Prize, awarded annually to the best debut work of fiction. 
 
Yuki Tejima (Translator) 
Yuki Tejima is the translator of Mizuki Tsujimura’s Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon and How to Hold Someone in Your Heart, Kumi Kimura’s Someone to Watch Over You, and the sequel to Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s bestselling memoir, Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window 2. She moved from the US to Tokyo, where she now lives.

When the Museum is Closed

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A dreamlike take on desire, loneliness, and the transformative power of being perceived by others

I was captivated by Rika's strange, frozen world, filled with movement and passion - a perfectly contained and luminous story that reveals a whole world of desire and possibility, right at the heart of loneliness

I quickly became addicted and found myself thinking about it long after I had finished

Filled with comedy, yet it constantly makes the reader question societal norms

Unlike anything I've ever read!

Effortlessly blends the everyday with the fantastical. A celebration of non-conformity and freedom from society’s constraints… I found it completely gripping

Refreshing and unpredictable. I would recommend this book to those who want a short but thought-provoking read

Delightful if at times unsettling, this is a book that I’m sure will stick with me

Strange and surreal and sad and fun all at the same time

Beautifully translated, lyrical and enchanting

About Emi Yagi

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