Penguin Random House India has announced the English-language publication of Tsubaki Stationery Store by bestselling Japanese author Ito Ogawa. The novel has been translated into English by Cat Anderson.

Set in the coastal town of Kamakura, the book follows Hatoko, who returns home after spending several years abroad to take over the stationery store left behind by her late grandmother. Along with the shop, however, she inherits an unusual responsibility — writing letters for people who struggle to express themselves.

As members of the local community begin approaching Hatoko for help, she finds herself drafting everything from greetings and condolences to farewells and declarations of love. Through these letters, the stationery store gradually becomes a space where people share emotions they may otherwise have left unspoken.

Hatoko’s work also brings her closer to memories of her grandmother. As details from the past begin to surface, she is forced to reassess her own relationship with her family and the legacy she has inherited.

Set against Kamakura’s changing seasons and Japanese traditions, Tsubaki Stationery Store explores love, grief, reconciliation and human connection. At its centre is the simple act of writing a letter and the thought and care involved in choosing the right words.

The novel has sold more than 440,000 copies in Japan and was nominated for the Japan Booksellers’ Award.

About the Author

Ito Ogawa is a novelist from Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. She made her debut with The Restaurant of Love Regained and has since written novels, essays and children’s books. Her works have been nominated for the Japan Booksellers’ Award on three occasions, including Tsubaki Stationery Store.