Portal:Literature/Biography archive/2008, Week 3

Yukio Mishima (三島 由紀夫, Mishima Yukio) was the public name of Kimitake Hiraoka (平岡 公威, Hiraoka Kimitake, January 14, 1925–November 25, 1970), a Japanese author and playwright. In 1946, Mishima began his first novel, Tōzoku (Thieves), a story about two young members of the aristocracy drawn towards suicide. It was published in 1948, placing Mishima in the ranks of the Second Generation of Postwar Writers. He followed with Kamen no Kokuhaku (Confessions of a Mask), a semi-autobiographical account of a young latent homosexual who must hide behind a mask in order to fit into society. The novel was extremely successful and made Mishima a celebrity at the age of 24.