Kenzaburō Ōe is a major figure in contemporary Japanese literature. His works, strongly influenced by French and American literature and literary theory, engage with political, social and philosophical issues including nuclear weapons, social non-conformism and existentialism. Ōe was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1994 for creating 'an imagined world, where life and myth condense to form a disconcerting picture of the human predicament today.'
Kevin Shen is an American and British actor based in London. He has narrated dozens of audiobooks, and works regularly on stage and screen in the UK and the US. On stage, he has performed on the West End, at the National Theatre, and at the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has also appeared in multiple hit films and television shows, including Industry, Fool Me Once and The Day of the Jackal.