Takashi Hiraide is a Japanese poet, novelist, and essayist known for his genre-defying works spanning poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Born in Moji, Kitakyushu in 1950, he gained international recognition for his novel "The Guest Cat," a contemplative exploration of human relationships through the lens of a feline visitor. His poetry collection "For the Fighting Spirit of the Walnut" earned the 2009 Best Translated Book Award for poetry, while "Postcards to Donald Evans" further solidified his reputation as a distinctive poetic voice.
Hiraide's writing often blends lyrical precision with philosophical depth, reflecting his academic background in Art Science and Poetics. His eclectic body of work includes essays on subjects ranging from baseball to poetics, a biography of Meiji poet Irako Seihaku, and a travelogue tracing the footsteps of literary figures like Kafka, Celan, and Benjamin in Berlin. As a professor at Tama Art University and a core member of its Institute for Art Anthropology, Hiraide continues to bridge creative and scholarly pursuits.