Episode 7

The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

First published in 1994, and shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020: a mysterious tale about the power of the state, loss and endurance.

On the island, things go on disappearing.

Each disappearance begins with a strange intimation of absence followed by the realisation that something has gone. Some disappearances seem to happen by themselves; others require action from the whole community to consolidate them.

The first duty of the Memory Police is to enforce the disappearances. But it is not enough for things to disappear: they must be forgotten, too. For most islanders - like the narrator, a young novelist - memories disappear ‘on schedule’.

But some people are unable to forget, and this a matter of great concern to the Memory Police. On the island, to remember is to be in danger.

Episode 7
The writer’s relationship with R has some new challenges. And when novels are disappeared, the islanders must burn all their books.

Award-winning novelist Yoko Ogawa lives in Ashiya, Japan. Her work translated into English includes The Diving Pool; Mina’s Matchbox and The Housekeeper and the Professor. The Memory Police was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2020.

Writer: Yoko Ogawa
Reader: Yuriri Naka
Translator: Stephen Snyder
Abridger: Jeremy Osborne
Producer: Jeremy Osborne

A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4