Sir Kazuo Ishiguro of the floating world －浮世の作家、Sir カズオ・イシグロ－

“Deeply touched to receive this honour from the nation that welcomed me as a small foreign boy.”

Kazuo Ishiguro, on receiving his knighthood

“Knighthood lies above eternity; It doesn’t live off fame, but rather deeds.”

Dejan Stojanovic

My wife recently read Kazuo Ishiguro’s book, “An artist of the floating world”.  Several of my students have also started reading his books.  They are, of course, jumping on the bandwagon.  Before Ishiguro won the Nobel Prize, they weren’t reading his books.  Now they are suddenly his biggest fans!

In addition to winning the Nobel Prize, Ishiguro has gotten a British knighthood.  He has become Sir Kazuo Ishiguro.

Should Ishiguro have been awarded a British knighthood? - By the way, he won’t mind me not calling him “Sir”, since I’ve been reading his books long before he got his knighthood or Nobel Prize (unlike some people I could mention).

There are some good reasons to give Ishiguro a knighthood.  His books are very well written.  Literature is important, and rewarding top writers acknowledges that.  Ishiguro’s personal story is also heartwarming.  He came to Britain as a “small foreign boy”, and yet has risen high in British society.  Recognising this shows that Britain is open and welcoming (at least occasionally).

But I would like someone who receives a knighthood to have done something selfless or beyond what was expected of them as citizens.  Ishiguro is not being honoured for charity work.  He is not being honoured for placing himself in danger to help others.  He is being honoured for “services to literature”.  But he did get paid for writing his books, didn’t he?  And I could make the same argument about many of the other people honoured.  Actress Emma Thompson is now Dame Emma Thompson for “services to drama”.  But she does get paid for acting, I suppose?

So here’s my plan.  Sir Kazuo can keep his knighthood.  But his next two books are to be published for free.  Anyone can reach the floating world of the British knighthood.  But they should give up something a little extra to get there.

Vocabulary:

to be touched – to be emotionally moved

a deed – an action

to jump on the bandwagon – to start following or supporting someone or something because everyone else is; to support someone after they have become very successful

to acknowledge something – to accept or recognise the truth of something

selfless – unselfish; concerned more with the wishes or needs of others than oneself