A quirky joyful queer love story about a lonely museum worker who falls in love with a statue
of Venus 'Filled with movement and passion - a luminous story that reveals a whole world of
desire and possibility right at the heart of loneliness' Rosie Price author of THE ORANGE
ROOM Rika Horauchi's new part-time job is to converse with a statue of Venus - in Latin -
every Monday when the museum is closed. Initially reluctant Rika starts to enjoy her strange
new job. Recommended by her old university professor for her exemplary language skills Rika
leads an otherwise unassuming life working the rest of the week in a frozen-food warehouse.
As Venus comes to life in the quiet of the museum they talk about everything. Venus opens up
new worlds for Rika both intellectually and emotionally. They soon fall in love. But when the
museum's curator Hashibami makes it clear he wants to keep Venus for himself what will Rika
do? When the Museum is Closed is by turns charming funny and surprising a surreal take on
our most real emotions and concerns: love loneliness freedom perceptions of beauty and how
women are seen in society. A joyful queer love story this fresh and original new novel
confirms Emi Yagi as one of the most exciting Japanese writers published in English today.
Translated by Yuki Tejima Praise for Diary of a Void 'Incredibly thought-provoking... you'll
love Yagi's writing' STYLIST 'A subversive surreal read that will strike a cord' RED
'Endlessly strange funny and meaningful' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 'A book that reflects on life
solitude and what it means to be a woman' FINANCIAL TIMES
