About the Author

Koushun Takami was born in 1969 in Amagasaki near Osaka and grew up in Kagawa Prefecture of Shikoku, where he currently resides. After Graduating from Osaka University with a degree in literature, he dropped out of Nihon University. From 1991 to 1996 he worked for the prefectural news company Shikoku Shinbun. Battle Royale, completed after Takami left the news company, was a finalist for the Kadokawa Mystery Prize, but ultimately lost due to the controversy the novel's content provoked among jury members. With its publication in Japan in 1999, Battle Royale received widespread support from young readers and became a best seller. In 2000, it was adapted as a manga and made into a popular feature film.