Before the hospital, we had often raised our hands towards each other as we’d gone through life together.

A man sits in a cafe, sipping a green juice and watching the world go by. A white butterfly flutters through the air; a calico cat jumps onto a wall; cherry blossom petals fall, softly, to the ground. Life, momentarily, stands still. Our unnamed narrator is preparing to visit his terminally ill wife in hospital.

A prize-winning bestseller in Japan, Beautiful Distance is a profoundly affecting and intimate story that looks with honesty and tenderness at the journey towards the end of a life. It explores what family means, how we think about death, and the power of quiet acts of love.

About the Author

Nao-Cola Yamazaki (Yamazaki Nao-Cola) is a Japanese writer. They pride themselves on writing ‘things no one else can say in words anyone can understand’. They have won the Bungei Prize and the Shimase Award for Love Stories and been nominated multiple times for the Akutagawa Prize.

Charlotte Goff is an Edinburgh-based literary translator. She was selected for the National Centre for Writing’s 2024 Emerging Translator Mentorship, and mentored by Polly Barton.