“Even if paper disappears, the words will remain.” Hat, ribbon, bird, rose... On an unnamed island, various things disappear one after another; it is decided that they must vanish from people's lives, and everyone must forget them forever. Those who do not comply risk being arrested by the police of memory.

When a young writer discovers that her editor is in danger of being arrested—because he cannot forget and finds it very difficult to hide his memories—she will do everything to save him. Together, as fear and loss form a suffocating grip around them, they will cling to literature as the last way to preserve the past. But what will happen when books start to disappear as well? Who knows what will disappear next?

The Police of Memory is a book about the power of memory and the trauma of loss, an allegorical story, a sharp commentary on dark state mechanisms of surveillance and control.

“Ogawa’s novel recalls Orwell’s 1984, Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, and García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude, yet possesses a completely unique voice and strength.” Time

“A masterpiece... A novel that makes us see differently... A rare work with a bold perspective.” The Guardian

“An exceptionally original writer.” Paul Auster

“Calmly shocking... Ogawa finds new ways to express old concerns about authoritarianism, environmental plunder, and humanity’s willingness to be complicit in its own ruin.” The Washington Post

“A masterfully crafted dystopian tale... it chills the body with terror.” The New York Times Book Review

“A biting novel from a highly talented writer... Dark and ambitious.” Publishers Weekly

“Ogawa reveals a silent defiance against a totalitarian regime; her tremendous talent here acts as a magnifying glass for the efforts of those who rebel quietly.” The Japan Times