Keigo Higashino

Keigo Higashino (東野 圭吾, Higashino Keigo^?, February 4, 1958) is a Japanese author chiefly known for mystery novels.

Biography

Born in Osaka, he started writing novels while still working as an engineer at Nippon Denso Co.　(presently DENSO). He won the Edogawa Rampo Prize, which is awarded annually to the finest mystery work, in 1985 for the novel Hōkago (After School) at age 27. Subsequently, he quit his job and started a career as a writer in Tokyo. In 1999, he won the Mystery Writers of Japan Inc award for the novel Himitsu (The secret), which was translated into English by Kerim Yasar and published by Vertical under the title of Naoko in 2004. In 2006, he won the 134th Naoki Prize for Yōgisha X no Kenshin. His novels have been nominated five times before winning with this novel. He writes not only mystery novel but also essays and story books for children. His style of writing differs from his novel, but basically he does not use as many characters as in his novels.

Main works

Novels:

• Hōkago (放課後, Hōkago^?), 1985
• Naniwa shōnen tanteidan (浪花少年探偵団, Naniwa shōnen tanteidan^?), 1988
• Nemuri no mori (眠りの森, Nemuri no mori^?), 1989
• Henshin (変身, Henshin^?), 1991
• Parallel world love story (パラレルワールド・ラブストーリー, Parallel world love story^?), 1994
• Himitsu (秘密, Himitsu^?), 1998
• Byakuyakō (白夜行, Byakuyakō^?), 1999
• Tegami (手紙, Tegami^?), 2003
• Yōgisya X no Kenshin (容疑者Xの献身, Yōgisya X no Kenshin^?), 2005
• Gen'ya (幻夜, Gen'ya^?), 2007

Some of his novels have been made into TV drama series and films:

• Himitsu (Film, 1999 Original Title: Himitsu, 1998)
• Lakeside Murdercase (Film, 2004 Original Title: Lakeside, 2002)
• g@me (Film, 2003, Original Title: Game no na wa yūkai, 2002)
• Tokio chichi he no dengon (TV Drama, 2004 Aug-Sep, Original Title: Tokio 2002)
• Byakuyakō (2006)