Tsubaki Stationery Store

Translated by Cat Anderson

A fiercely contested novel from one of Japan's best known writers for fans of healing fiction the likes of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and The Little Paris Bookshop

You always told me that writing is life itself.

After many years abroad, Hatoko reluctantly returns to Kamakura to take over the stationery store left to her by her late grandmother. As the custodian of the store, she also inherits the profession of public scribe, a role Hatoko trained for as a child under the guidance of her strict grandmother.

As the locals seek out Hatoko's help, she takes on all manner of requests- writing letters of greeting, condolence, farewell, love, and more on behalf of those who come to her. A local community forms around Hatoko and the store, and, when the secrets of her late grandmother begin to unravel, Hatoko learns that the role of the scribe requires much more than putting ink to paper.

Set to the rhythm of the four seasons and the Japanese rituals and festivities that come with them, Tsubaki Stationery Store is a charming story about the importance of community and the reconciliatory power of the written word.

Praise for the original

'For stationery lovers and lovers of Kamakura, this book is an irresistible treasure trove ... you can smell the scent of the ink emanating from the page.' KAORI NAKAHARA, SANKEI SHIMBUN

'A sparkling tale ... woven together by characters who are charming, characters to love.' MICHIKO WATANABE, HANAKO MAGAZINE