May 16, 2013

Suzanne Kamata’s Gadget Girl Wins Major Book Prize

SWET member Susanne Kamata's young adult novel, Gadget Girl: The Art of Being Invisible, was recently awarded the Grand Prize at the 2013 Paris Book Festival. The book also won the top prize in the Young Adult division. Kamata will receive $1500 cash and a flight to Paris where she will be honored at a private reception at the end of May.

The Paris Book Festival is an annual competition honoring the best of international publishing. The Festival judges praised the book's "delightful blend of cultures and strong storytelling." Kamata is celebrating the publication of her book by launching her Book Blog Tour which will run May 16–27. The Tour includes a giveaway of 5 copies of the paperback edition. The easiest way to keep up with the Blog Tour is via Kamata's Twitter feed.

Summary of Gadget Girl

"Aiko Cassidy is fifteen, has cerebral palsy, and lives in a small Midwestern town. For most of her life, she has been her sculptor mother’s muse. But now she no longer wants to post for the figures that have made her mother famous. She works on her own dream, becoming a sought-after manga artist with a secret identify. When Aiko’s mother invites her to Paris for a major exhibition, Aiko balks. She’d rather go to Japan, the manga capital of the world. But when she gets to France and meets a hot waiter with a passion for manga, things change."

Gadget Girl: The Art of Being Invisible is available from Amazon Japan in paperback and Kindle editions and from Amazon USA in paperback and Kindle editions as well. Links are to the SWET-Amazon Associates to benefit SWET.

Update: Interview in Paris

While in Paris to receive her Paris Book Festival Award, Kamata was interviewed on Laurel Zuckerman's Paris Weblog. Kamata talked about about writing as an expat in Japan, her connection with France, and sound advice for writers everywhere.