Yoko Ogawa needs no introduction. Nor does her seminal work, The Memory Police. First published in 1994, the hallowed tale about a mysterious island where people, plants and inanimate objects routinely disappear gained cult status in Japan. But it had eluded the English-reading public until this year, when it was translated by Stephen Snyder.
Ogawa is one of Japan's most prolific writers and the winner of several prestigious literary awards in the country. But her latest nomination is significant, given that it's for the English version of one of her novels.
The Memory Police is one of five finalists for the Translated Literature category of the National Book Awards, the most coveted US literary award for the country's authors. The category for Translated Literature was introduced only last year.
There are many reasons to celebrate Ogawa's novel making the list, but perhaps most important is how much its themes resonate today. Dealing with topics like government censorship, surveillance and the meaning of existence, The Memory Police still seems relevant almost 25 years after it was first published.
It's a strong contender to take the award, and might only be challenged for the top prize by fellow nominee, Syrian writer Khaled Khalifa's Death Is Hard Work, a profound road-trip novel about a war-torn Syria.
What is 'The Memory Police' about?
The Memory Police is set in an unnamed island where objects – roses, photographs, boats, novels – disappear. The despotic Memory Police ensure that every trace of the vanished item is erased from the island and wiped from people's memories.
Our unnamed protagonist is a writer currently working on a story about a typist who has lost her voice and now uses her typewriter as her sole means of communication. This suppression of freedom of expression is emblematic of the world depicted by the novel, governed by a totalitarian regime that enforces systematic disappearances.
The novel the writer is penning denotes the impact of the writer's surroundings on their work. The Memory Police, in that regard, is shrewdly self-referential and the totalitarian world conjured up by Ogawa certainly raises pertinent questions about Japan and its rigidly fascist past.
The order of this island is articulated lucidly by one of the older inhabitants: "When I was a child, the whole place seemed… how can I put this… a lot fuller, a lot more real. But as things got thinner, more full of holes, our hearts got thinner, too, diluted somehow. I suppose that kept things in balance."
Speculative fiction at its best
Ogawa has spoken of her inspiration for the book, saying she sought cues from The Diary of Anne Frank. She says Frank's account of her time in hiding from the Nazis reaffirmed that individuals can grow even in confined situations and that writing can provide freedom to people. Freedom, then, is what our protagonist seeks by writing novels, a practice that has already become an anomaly in Ogawa's imagined society.
I would be hard pressed to find a more unnerving work of speculative fiction that's come out in recent decades – it is tempting to bill this as science-fiction written by Kafka – but that would be unfair to this intricately inventive novel, which stubbornly refuses to be bound by the constraints of genres. The story takes place in a timeless realm, and Ogawa's narrative is transcendent and effortlessly smooth, her plotline woven like gauze.
This novel paints a striking portrait of the significance of memory and reminiscence
Both the protagonist's parents are dead and her mother was taken away by the authorities because of her inability to forget. Those such as her mother and her editor, R, whose memories also stay in tact, are rooted out and hauled away. They are easily detected by Memory Police, according to R, because their conscious minds are embedded in an even more powerful unconscious which makes it impossible to feign forgetting.
After every disappearance, the island is stirred, the remnants of the object in question are burnt or tossed into the river and soon, no one can even recall what it was that was there in the first place. One of the most surreal scenes in the book depicts the disappearance of the roses from a rose garden. The description is melancholic as well as beautifully heart-rending. "The surface of the river was covered with tiny fragments of… something… in an indescribable array of hues – reds, pinks, and whites – so thick that not a space was visible between them."
A seminal work
This novel paints a striking portrait of the significance of memory and reminiscence. It poses questions about the indelible marks left by our past and the malleability of memories – how they don't merely stack up but merge into one another and sometimes fade of their own accord. Remembrance, then, is a cross to bear in a society where forgetting is the norm.
This was the case for the writer's mother, who would try to entice her daughter with the smell of a perfume she had forgotten. Try as she might, the daughter cannot affiliate herself with the fragrance emanating from the perfume bottle, but can only detect "some sort of scent there".
Ogawa's novel, then, is an authentic and relevant reflection of this era of 'fake news'
Ogawa flexes her writing chops in these conjectural descriptions where she has to discard the standard conception behind these objects. Similarly, the aloofness with which she describes commonplace objects that have gone, such as photographs and birds, by depriving them of their ability to elicit any emotional connection is a testament to her craft as an author.
As the disappearances on the island pile up, it is not only memories that are being obliterated but also life, which is slowly vanishing. At its climax, the story takes a grim post-apocalyptic turn, which, while unsettling, is a cogent culmination of a story that is at once both contemporary and yet notional.
Ogawa meets Orwell
Orwell's masterpiece Nineteen Eighty-Four is one of the seminal works of totalitarian dystopia, a genre that has seen a resurgence lately, seemingly because of the rise in authoritarianism and surveillance culture around the world. In an essay, Orwell wrote that "totalitarianism demands, in fact, the continuous alteration of the past, and in the long run probably demands a disbelief in the very existence of objective truth". Ogawa's novel, then, is an authentic and relevant reflection of this era of 'fake news' in which facts and news share a tenuous relationship.
This is probably why this novel is a deserving finalist for the National Book Awards. It is richly layered yet unwittingly resonant to current politics. The Memory Police, translated nimbly by Snyder, is a pensive indictment of state control and a coruscating, strikingly haunting portrait of our future.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
LIVING IN...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Fixtures
50-over match
UAE v Lancashire, starts at 10am
Champion County match
MCC v Surrey, four-day match, starting on Sunday, March 24, play starts at 10am
Both matches are at ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City. Admission is free.
Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
MAIN CARD
Bantamweight 56.4kg
Abrorbek Madiminbekov v Mehdi El Jamari
Super heavyweight 94 kg
Adnan Mohammad v Mohammed Ajaraam
Lightweight 60kg
Zakaria Eljamari v Faridoon Alik Zai
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Mahmood Amin v Taha Marrouni
Light welterweight 64.5kg
Siyovush Gulmamadov v Nouredine Samir
Light heavyweight 81.4kg
Ilyass Habibali v Haroun Baka
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ENGLAND%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EFor%20Euro%202024%20qualifers%20away%20to%20Malta%20on%20June%2016%20and%20at%20home%20to%20North%20Macedonia%20on%20June%2019%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGoalkeepers%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Johnstone%2C%20Pickford%2C%20Ramsdale.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDefenders%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alexander-Arnold%2C%20Dunk%2C%20Guehi%2C%20Maguire%2C%20%20Mings%2C%20Shaw%2C%20Stones%2C%20Trippier%2C%20Walker.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMidfielders%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bellingham%2C%20Eze%2C%20Gallagher%2C%20Henderson%2C%20%20Maddison%2C%20Phillips%2C%20Rice.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EForwards%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFoden%2C%20Grealish%2C%20Kane%2C%20Rashford%2C%20Saka%2C%20Wilson.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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Spec%20sheet
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2A)
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Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')
Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)
Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
Meydan card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (PA) Group 1 US$65,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial (TB) $100,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 (TB) Group 2 $350,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,600m
WTL%20SCHEDULE
%3Cp%3EDECEMBER%2019%20(6pm)%0D%3Cbr%3EKites%20v%20Eagles%0D%3Cbr%3EAliassime%20v%20Kyrgios%0D%3Cbr%3ESwiatek%20v%20Garcia%0D%3Cbr%3EEntertainment%3A%20Tiesto%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDECEMBER%2020%20(6pm)%0D%3Cbr%3EFalcons%20v%20Hawks%0D%3Cbr%3EDjokovic%20v%20Zverev%0D%3Cbr%3ESabalenka%20v%20Rybakina%0D%3Cbr%3EEntertainment%3A%20Wizkid%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDECEMBER%2021%20(6pm)%0D%3Cbr%3EFalcons%20v%20Eagles%0D%3Cbr%3EDjokovic%20v%20Kyrgios%0D%3Cbr%3EBadosa%20v%20Garcia%0D%3Cbr%3EEntertainment%3A%20Ne-Yo%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDECEMBER%2022%20(6pm)%0D%3Cbr%3EHawks%20v%20Kites%0D%3Cbr%3EThiem%20v%20Aliassime%0D%3Cbr%3EKontaveit%20v%20Swiatek%0D%3Cbr%3EEntertainment%3A%20deadmau5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDECEMBER%2023%20(2pm)%0D%3Cbr%3EEagles%20v%20Hawks%0D%3Cbr%3EKyrgios%20v%20Zverev%0D%3Cbr%3EGarcia%20v%20Rybakina%0D%3Cbr%3EEntertainment%3A%20Mohammed%20Ramadan%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDECEMBER%2023%20(6pm)%0D%3Cbr%3EFalcons%20v%20Kites%0D%3Cbr%3EDjokovic%20v%20Aliassime%0D%3Cbr%3ESabalenka%20v%20Swiatek%0D%3Cbr%3EEntertainment%3A%20Mohammed%20Ramadan%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EDECEMBER%2024%20(6pm)%0D%3Cbr%3EFinals%0D%3Cbr%3EEntertainment%3A%20Armin%20Van%20Buuren%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
