Rio Shimamoto

 is a Japanese writer. She has won the Gunzo Prize for New Writers, the Noma Literary New Face Prize and the Naoki Prize.
Biography.
Shimamoto was born in 1983 in Tokyo, Japan. She made her literary debut in 2001 with her story "Shiruetto" ("Silhouette") while still a student at Tokyo Metropolitan Shinjuku Yamabuki Senior High School, winning the 44th Gunzo Prize for New Writers. Her 2002 novella "Little by Little" won the 25th Noma Literary New Face Prize and was nominated for an Akutagawa Prize, but did not win. Shimamoto was the youngest person to receive the Noma Literary New Face Prize in its history. 
In 2005 her novel "Narratage" was published and became a bestseller in Japan. "Narratage" was later adapted into a 2017 film of the same name. In 2006 Shimamoto dropped out of Rikkyo University to pursue her writing full-time. After being nominated for the Akutagawa Prize four times and the Naoki Prize twice, Shimamoto won the 159th Naoki Prize for her 2018 book "First Love". The Naoki Prize committee members were not unanimous in their decision, but finally selected Shimamoto's work after multiple rounds of voting.
Shimamoto has cited Shuji Terayama as a literary influence.
Personal life.
Shimamoto is married to award-winning Japanese novelist Yuya Sato.