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Penguin Classics UK Publishes Grave of the Fireflies Novel on September 4
posted on by Joanna Cayanan
Penguin Classics UK is listing the English release of Akiyuki Nosaka's Grave of the Fireflies semi-autobiographical novel in the United Kingdom, on September 4. The novel's translator Ginny Tapley Takemori stated that the novel's English release will commemorate the 80th year since the end of the war.
Penguin Classics describes the story:
In the dying days of the War, Seita and Setsuko must fend for themselves. Firebombs have obliterated their home in Kobe, leaving them searching for shelter and scrambling to survive in the depths of the countryside. But, as their suffering becomes a constant companion, so do the lights of the fireflies – shining from the bomber planes, and the insects glowing by the lake at night.This unforgettable semi-autobiographical tale by Akiyuki Nosaka won him the Naoki Prize, cementing his place in the Japanese cultural canon. Published here for the first time as a standalone story, Grave of the Fireflies illuminates the untold sorrows of normal people who live in the shadow of war.
The 1967 novel's first known English translation was by James R. Abrams, which was sequestered in a 1978 issue of the journal Japan Quarterly, under the title A Grave of Fireflies.
Central Park Media, ADV Films, and later Sentai Filmworks released the Grave of the Fireflies film on home video in North America, and GKIDS acquired the North American theatrical rights. GKIDS released the film on Blu-ray Disc and DVD in North America on July 8.
The film is also the first feature-length work by Studio Ghibli to stream in Japan, when Netflix started streaming the film on July 15. Netflix added the film to its library in August 2024 except in Japan.
Source: Penguin Classics UK's website
