Born with a congenital muscle disorder, Shaka Isawa has severe spine curvature and uses an electric wheelchair and ventilator. Within the limits of her care home, her life is lived online: she studies, she tweets indignantly, she posts outrageous stories on an erotica website. One day, a new male carer reveals he has read it all - the sex, the provocation, the dirt. Her response? An indecent proposal...
Written by the first disabled author to win Japan's most prestigious literary award and acclaimed instantly as one of the most important Japanese novels of the 21st century, Hunchback is an extraordinary, thrilling glimpse into the desire and darkness of a woman placed at humanity's edge.
'Filled with unforgettable insight' Sayaka Murata, author of Convenience Store Woman
Awards
Longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2025
Reviews
A must-read debut. Funny and frank, this book lingers in the mind long after you turn the final page BBC Books of 2025
Written with guts and wit, Hunchback is a tender and defiant story which forces readers to think far beyond ableist concepts of who gets to desire and be desired. Best Books of 2025, AnOther Magazine
One of the best books of 2025 Radio Times
Hailed as one of the most important Japanese novels of the 21st century, Hunchback is a subversive and morally complex story that dismantles assumptions about disability. A difficult but revelatory read, expect Hunchback to be one of the most talked about books of the year. Foyles, Best Translated Fiction of 2025
A lithe, thrilling book - Saou's writing is as sharp as a knife -- Pandora Sykes
Uproariously funny, unflinching, and merciless. It's not very often you encounter this provocative and yet so refreshingly honest of a read. -- Mariana Enriquez, author of The Dangers of Smoking in Bed
