Jougi Shiraishi
Description
Jougi Shiraishi is a Japanese novelist born on May 17, 1993, in Kumamoto Prefecture. He began writing novels in his second year of junior high school, a pursuit he paused during high school before resuming after graduation. He continued writing while entering university, completing several light novels that he ultimately shelved. Around the age of 20, he submitted a novel to the GA Bunko Award, which advanced to the second round but was ultimately rejected, a result that led him to focus on self-publishing his work as e-books.
In 2014, Shiraishi self-published the first volume of what would become his most notable work, Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, as an Amazon Kindle book. After placing an advertisement for the series on the VIP newsletter of 2channel, the work gained popularity and was picked up by SB Creative. Following revisions, the series began professional publication under the GA Novel imprint in April 2016. This series, a fantasy adventure following the travels of a young witch named Elaina, has continued with numerous volumes and forms the cornerstone of his career. The success of Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina led to a 12-episode anime television adaptation produced by C2C, which aired from October to December 2020. An English-language version of the light novel is published by Yen Press.
Shiraishi has expanded the world of his debut work with spin-off series. A light novel titled Riviere and the Land of Prayer, centered on the character Riviere, began publication in January 2022. Beyond the Wandering Witch universe, he launched a new light novel series, Nana ga Yarakasu Gobyōmae, in 2023.
In interviews, Shiraishi has stated that his choice to write Wandering Witch as a series of separate, episodic stories was to make it accessible for readers and to allow for stories of varying mood and tone. He cites several literary influences, including Honobu Yonezawa’s Koten-bu series, Keiichi Sigsawa’s Kino’s Journey, Yuya Sato’s 333 no Teppen, and Akira’s Heian Zankoku Monogatari. He also notes that his reading of National Geographic, particularly its articles on animal ecology, sometimes provides inspiration for his writing.
In 2014, Shiraishi self-published the first volume of what would become his most notable work, Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina, as an Amazon Kindle book. After placing an advertisement for the series on the VIP newsletter of 2channel, the work gained popularity and was picked up by SB Creative. Following revisions, the series began professional publication under the GA Novel imprint in April 2016. This series, a fantasy adventure following the travels of a young witch named Elaina, has continued with numerous volumes and forms the cornerstone of his career. The success of Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina led to a 12-episode anime television adaptation produced by C2C, which aired from October to December 2020. An English-language version of the light novel is published by Yen Press.
Shiraishi has expanded the world of his debut work with spin-off series. A light novel titled Riviere and the Land of Prayer, centered on the character Riviere, began publication in January 2022. Beyond the Wandering Witch universe, he launched a new light novel series, Nana ga Yarakasu Gobyōmae, in 2023.
In interviews, Shiraishi has stated that his choice to write Wandering Witch as a series of separate, episodic stories was to make it accessible for readers and to allow for stories of varying mood and tone. He cites several literary influences, including Honobu Yonezawa’s Koten-bu series, Keiichi Sigsawa’s Kino’s Journey, Yuya Sato’s 333 no Teppen, and Akira’s Heian Zankoku Monogatari. He also notes that his reading of National Geographic, particularly its articles on animal ecology, sometimes provides inspiration for his writing.
Works
- Topics: Anime overview
- Topics: Manga overview