translations

I Used to be Lonesome

Awarded second prize in the Japanese Literature Publishing Project (JLPP) 8th International Translation Competition. A short story by Kaori Fujino from the collection『ドレス』

What the Children Drew: Art from Gaza and Tokyo

Forthcoming in June 2025 from Compass Rose Editions.

Drawings by kids who evacuated from Gaza to Egypt make their way to

Tokyo, and make a big impact on children there. Sixteen of those drawings

appear here in full color, along with art and comments the kids in Tokyo

created in return.

I Can Open It for You

Picture book chock full of onomatopoeia, published in 2023 by Chronicle Books LLC.

“Cozy, droll, perfect.” ~Kirkus (starred review)
“…several spreads show bottles, tins, and packages opening one by one, accompanied by onomatopoeia rendered skillfully by translator Wilcut: “phssst” “shwoop” “shwifft.” ~Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

The Arts and Ethics of Zen Temples

Ten magazine-sized volumes, one temple per issue. Explanations of the history, art, and architecture of each temple, with essays on Zen philosophy. Published in 2019 by Shogakukan.

currently pitching

Invisible Rules

Upper middle-grade novel by Itsuko Sato, published by Kadokawa Press in 2024.

Thirteen-year-old Yuki is hiding more and more of her true self to fit in. She gradually realizes her actions are not a response to peer pressure, but to rules she has set for herself, and she begins to free herself from them.

Contact me for full details, synopsis, and sample translation.

While I Was Eating Ramen

Picture book by Yoshifumi Hasegawa, published by Kyoku Gageki Co., Ltd.

What happens around the world as a boy in Japan eats ramen? Each page turn reveals a new child in a new place in a string of what-happens-next-door, next-next door, in the next town, in the next country, and beyond. First published in 2007 (reissued in Japanese in 2022), the depiction of what life is like for kids in many places, some of whom may suffer because of war or famine, is most timely.

Contact: Rico Komanoya at Compass Rose Editions, LLC