The city of Nagasaki, the birthplace of British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, reveled Thursday in the news that Ishiguro has been awarded the Nobel Prize in lit
NAGASAKI – The city of Nagasaki, the birthplace of British novelist Kazuo Ishiguro, reveled Thursday in the news that Ishiguro has been awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.
The 62-year-old author was born in the city on Nov. 8,1954, and lived there until age 5, when his family moved to Britain.
“I feel like I’m dreaming,” said Teruko Tanaka, 91, who taught Ishiguro at the now-closed Sakuragaoka kindergarten. “I didn’t think he’d win the prize while I’m alive.”
Ishiguro, the winner of the 1989 Man Booker Prize, met with Tanaka at one point when he visited Nagasaki after becoming a writer, and later sent her an autographed copy of one of his books.
“I am so excited, I can’t sleep tonight,” said Tanaka.
Masayuki Itayama, 62, from Minamishimabara in Nagasaki Prefecture, had already started looking for Ishiguro’s books at a bookstore.
“I didn’t know he was a Nagasaki native,” said Itayama, adding he is eager to read the books of an author who is now one of Nagasaki’s most famous sons.
Welcoming the news, Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue expressed hope in a statement that Ishiguro will have a chance to visit his hometown someday.
