Publisher: Penguin Random House
Publish date: 25 June 2026
Pages: 160
Binding: Paperback
Language: English
Subjects: Fiction, Literary, Romance, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Workplace, Magical Realism, Feminist, World Literature, Japan
Rika Horiuchi’s new part-time job is to converse with a statue of the Venus de Milo – in Latin – every Monday, when the museum is closed. Initially reluctant, Rika starts to enjoy her strange new she and Venus talk about everything. They fall in love, and (with the help of a statue of Artemis’ hunting dog) eventually break free. This fresh and original new novel from the author of Diary of a Void confirms Emi Yagi as one of the most exciting Japanese writers published in English today.
