Honobu Yonezawa

Honobu Yonezawa (米澤 穂信 Yonezawa Honobu, born 1978) is a Japanese mystery fiction writer, mostly known for the Classic Literature Club series.

Biography
Honobu Yonezawa was born in, ,. He was attending local Hida High School, and later continued his education in. He successfully graduated from it receiving a degree in Literature.

Yonezawa's interest in writing began at a young age. At age 11, he wrote a derivative work which served as a sequel to , and began writing original works upon reaching second year of middle school. On his second year as a Literature student in Kanazawa University, he opened a website called Pandreamium (汎夢殿) where he published his works. (Later Yonezawa closed it down before his official debut as a writer, causing his published works in the site to become inaccessible to the public.)

Although Yonezawa had written many kinds of works during his career, his writing interests shifted towards mystery fiction genre only after he read works of named "Sora Tobu Uma" ("The Horse Flying in the Sky") and "Roku no Miya no Himegimi" ("Maidens of the Six Temples").

After graduating from university, in an effort to improve his writing skills within the two following years, he moved to city (now – ) in  and worked as a bookstore employee as he continued writing. In 2001, his novel won the Encouragement Award in the 5th Kadokawa School Novel Prize in the Young Adult Mystery and Horror category, thus marking his debut. Hyouka was first published in Pandreamium and was well received by among his works, making it his entry of choice for the competition. Hyouka and its sequel volume were later published in Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko's then newly established Sneaker Mystery Club.

Despite having finished the third volume of a series later called Koten-bu series, he also began working on a new series entitled Sayonara Yousei ("Farewell Fairy"), which was found difficult to categorize under a publishing label. It was only through the recommendation of mystery fiction writer Kiyoshi Kasai that these series were published by, which specializes on publishing mystery novels. Later, Yonezawa used Yugoslavia as an inspiration for the fictional setting his graduation thesis work. This standalone work would eventually be featured in the 2005 Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! novel, further increasing his fame. On that same year, Yonezawa published Shunki Gentei Ichigo Taruto Jiken (The Case of the Springtime-Only Strawberry Tart"), the first volume of the Lower Middle Class series which also shared the theme of everyday mystery solving with the Koten-bu series.

In 2012, the Koten-bu series were adapted into the Hyouka, a 22-episode anime series by Kyoto Animation, and even Yonezawa himself became a fan of the adaptation. In 2013, Yonezawa was chosen to become part of the screening committee for ''Mysteries! Shinjinjou'' award.

In 2016, the Japanese version of the largest literature magazine in the English-speaking world,, nominated Yonezawa for the award of Best of Young Japanese Novelists.

Classic Literature Club series

 * , 2001
 * , 2002
 * , 2005
 * , 2007
 * , 2010
 * , 2016

Shoushimin series

 * Shunki Gentei Ichigo Taruto Jiken (春期限定いちごタルト事件), 2004
 * Kaki Gentei Toropikaru Pafe Jiken (夏期限定トロピカルパフェ事件), 2006
 * Shuuki Gentei Kuri Kinton Jiken (秋期限定栗きんとん事件), 2009

Beruf series

 * Ou to Saakasu (王とサーカス), 2015
 * Shinjitsu no 10 meetoru temae (真実の10メートル手前), 2015

Other mystery novels

 * Sayonara Yousei (さよなら妖精), 2004
 * Inu wa Doko da (犬はどこだ), 2005
 * Botorunekku [ Bottleneck ] (ボトルネック), 2006 (A Partial Translation of Bottleneck at Digital Library)
 * Inshite Miru (インシテミル), 2007
 * Hakanai Hitsuji tachi no Shukuen (儚い羊たちの祝宴), 2008
 * Tsuisou Godanshō (追想五断章), 2009
 * Oreta Ryuukotsu (折れた竜骨), 2010
 * Rikaushiburu [ Recursible ] (リカーシブル), 2013
 * Mangan (満願), 2014
 * Hon to Kagi no Kisetsu (本と鍵の季節), 2018
 * I no Higeki (Iの悲劇), 2019

Other books

 * , 2017

Live-action movies

 * Inshite Miru: 7-kakan no Desu Gemu (インシテミル#映画 インシテミル：7日間のデス・ゲーム), 2010
 * Hyouka: Forbidden Secrets, 2017

TV drama

 * Kaitou X kara no Chousenjou (怪盗Xからの挑戦状), 2011
 * Mangan (満願), 2018

TV anime series

 * Hyouka, 2012

Manga

 * Shunki Gentei Ichigo Taruto Jiken (春期限定イチゴタルト事件), 2007
 * Kaki Gentei Toropikaru Pafe Jiken (夏期限定トロピカルパフェ事件), 2010–2011
 * Hyouka, 2012–
 * Do you love me?, 2010
 * Oreta Ryuukotsu (折れた竜骨), 2015

Awards and Nominations

 * Hyouka
 * 2001 – The Encouragement Prize in the 5th School Novel Prize (角川学園小説大賞), Young Adult Fiction Mystery & Horror category


 * "Kokoroatari no Aru Mono wa" (心あたりのある者は)
 * 2007 – Nominee for for Best Short Story


 * Inshite Miru (インシテミル)
 * 2008 – Nominee for for Best Novel


 * Tsuisou Godanshou (追想五断章) (novel)
 * 2010 – Nominee for for Best Novel
 * 2010 – Nominee for for Best Novel


 * Oreta Ryuukotsu (折れた竜骨) (novel)
 * 2011 – for Best Novel
 * 2011 – The Best Japanese Mystery Fiction of the Year ()
 * 2011 – Nominee for for Best Novel
 * 2011 – Nominee for


 * Mangan (満願)
 * 2014 – Nominee for and
 * 2015 - 7th for


 * Shinjitsu no 10-metoru Temae (真実の10メートル手前)
 * 2016 - Nominee for


 * Ou to Saakasu (王とサーカス)
 * 2016 - 6th for
 * Classic Literature Club series
 * 2020 - Nomination for 5th Yoshikawa Books Award (吉川英治文庫賞)