Join the University of Iowa (UI) Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, an International Programs affinity group, for a special event with acclaimed Japanese author Keiichiro Hirano.
Reading and discussion
Date & Time: Thursday, April 23, 2026, 5 – 6:15 p.m. (CDT)
Location: University Capitol Centre, room 1115
Hirano will read from his award-winning novel, Eclipse, which is available in English for the first time. Following the reading, Hirano will be joined by UI professor Kendall Heitzman, associate professor of Japanese in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, for a Q&A.
Set in fifteenth-century France, Eclipse is the account of a young Dominican friar's encounter with an alchemist along the way from Paris to Florence in the 15th century. Originally published in 1998, the extraordinarily erudite novel made Hirano one of the youngest recipients of the Akutagawa Prize, at the age of 23.
This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Asian and Pacific Studies, International Programs, the Japan Foundation, and the UI Japanese program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
About the Author
Keiichiro Hirano is the author of over 15 works of fiction, including A Man and At the End of the Matinee, both of which have been turned into films.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Daniel Vorwerk in advance at 319-497-1619 or daniel-vorwerk@uiowa.edu.
International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement. IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.