Good Afternoon Ladies and
Gentlemen,
I'm Gerrit Slembrouck, Ezoe Nobuko's
husband. Just like my wife, I'm glad to see you all enjoy this
wonderful party.
Thank you for coming.
I have had the honor to see writer Ezoe
at work. From times almost without beginning, up to today,
it has been my pleasure to notice and observe her drive to accomplish
things. I've been wondering where this might come from, when
I witnessed the late evenings and long week-ends on which she
worked, deeply absorbed in a world apart. It must be in that
world she got in touch with her roots. As plants limb their
roots to seek water, in Mamuda she dwelled, drinking from diverse
sources, finding nutrition and refreshing all of us, living
creatures, with a marvelous story, Mamuda. In the Chronicle
of Mamuda or Kamigami no Shima very many extra ordinary names
and places have an exotic sound that resonates in the ears of
people living in Japan today. I remember 20 years ago in Maebashi,
Gunma ken one of the first words after Ohayo gozai masu, what
I understood seeing a Samurai Drama, was TASKETE. Funny enough
the sound means: a cup of tea, in Flemish my mother tongue.
Now 20 years later I was surprised one day to hear SLOPEL from
my wife's mouth; one of the meaningful words in Flemish as well
as in any other language, to say good night sleep well. I'm
sure many of us have had similar experiences with nature's sounds,
colours and other phenomena. But isn't it the writer's art to
tell of it ? and can't we all agree, she has on the trail of
nature's mysteries captured young and old.
During the last months I've made acquaintance with a number
of people who also engaged in the project of publishing Mamuda.
For their support we would like to thank particularly the editors
of Fukuinkan-shoten ; Hirokuni Sugahara, and Wada Nobuhiro
for his tireless assistance. Suzuki Koji for his illustrations.
And especially: Tsubota Joii with whom she has the best of childhood
memories and without whom today's event wouldn't have come into
existence.
Let us give her a heartfelt hand; I'm sure she will respond
with an unprecedented adventure in a new book.
Gerrit Slembrouck & Nobuko Ezoe
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