An eclectic mixed-genre collection of prose and poetry by one of the most important and beloved Japanese writers of the twentieth century. Most of the pieces are appearing in English for the first time and span a range of styles and forms, from the whimsical and the fantastical to the serious and the grave.

Hell of Solitude presents a varied and eclectic selection of writings by Ry¿nosuke Akutagawa, one of the most important and beloved Japanese writers of the twentieth century. Bringing together fiction, poetry, and philosophical prose - much of it appearing in English for the first time here - this collection showcases the range and intensity of Akutagawa's imagination. Moving from the whimsical and fantastical to the grave and introspective, the pieces reveal a writer of extraordinary clarity and psychological depth. Interwoven throughout are poems from a prolific body of verse, examples of which are sparse in English, alongside 'Art and Other Things', a fragmentary essay in which Akutagawa expounds his aesthetic views while drawing on examples from world literature and art. Translated with sensitivity and precision by Ryan Choi, Hell of Solitude offers a vital reintroduction to a writer whose lucidity, irony, and existential unease continue to resonate across cultures and generations.

With a foreword by Polly Barton