Ao Omae

is a Japanese fiction writer. Born in Hyōgo Prefecture, he lived in Kyoto until 2022, when he relocated to Tokyo.

Writing career Omae made his debut in 2016 with the short story "Kanojo wo basutabu ni irete moyasu" (彼女をバスタブにいれて燃やす), which was ranked first place in an open call for stories organized by Granta Japan with . His story "Yuki no ijō na taishitsu mata wa boku wa dore hodo okane ga hoshii ka" (ユキの異常な体質 または僕はどれほどお金がほしいか) won the second Book Shorts Award and was subsequently made into a short film of the same name, given the English title "Ms. Strangedisposition or: How I Desire to Be Rich." For the story "Bunchō" (文鳥), he was awarded Grand Prize in the "at home AWARDs."

Omae made his English-language debut with "Beam," translated by Emily Balistrieri for Electric Lit. Omae's work is known for being "gender-conscious" and often considers the effects of social alienation and the nature of masculinity. The titular novella of the fiction collection Nuigurumi to shaberu hito wa yasashii (ぬいぐるみとしゃべる人はやさしい) was adapted for film and released internationally under the title People Who Talk to Plushies Are Kind. In June 2023, the collection was published in an English translation by Emily Balistrieri under the title People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Nice.

Selected works Story collections Kaitengusa Shoshikankanbou, 2017 Watashi to wani to imōto no heya Shoshikankanbou, 2019 Nuigurumi to shaberu hito wa yasashii Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2020

Novels Omoroi igai iran nen Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2021 Shindeiru watashi to, watashi mitai na hito tachi no koe Kawade Shobo Shinsha, 2022 Kimi da kara sabisii Bungeishunjū, 2022

Translations

"Beam." Translated by Emily Balistrieri. Electric Lit. September 2020. "Bath Towel Visuals." Translated by Emily Balistrieri. The Southern Review. Summer 2021. People Who Talk to Stuffed Animals Are Nice. Translated by Emily Balistrieri. HarperCollins. June 2023.