'A fragile haunting novella... this book is a profoundly sad and precious gift' Phelim
McDermott director of My Neighbour Totoro 'Nosaka reminds us of the small lives that are
lost in the churn of war and who are left without even a memorial' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan The
heartbreaking Japanese classic telling the story of two orphans fighting for survival at the
end of World War Two published in English for the first time In the dying days of the War
Seita and Setsuko must fend for themselves. Firebombs have obliterated their home in Kobe
leaving them searching for shelter and scrambling to survive in the depths of the countryside.
But as their suffering becomes a constant companion so do the lights of the fireflies -
shining from the bomber planes and the insects glowing by the lake at night. This
unforgettable semi-autobiographical tale by Akiyuki Nosaka won him the Naoki Prize cementing
his place in the Japanese cultural canon. Published here for the first time as a standalone
story Grave of the Fireflies illuminates the untold sorrows of normal people who live in the
shadow of war. 'A beautiful and sensitive translation... I wish stories like this were
unnecessary but that is sadly not the case' Tom Morton-Smith playwright and writer of My
Neighbour Totoro
