The Typing Lady and Other Fictions
short-story-collection · First published 2026
Author guide
Ruth Ozeki Books in Order
Ruth Ozeki is an American and Canadian novelist, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest whose work explores science, religion, environmental politics, race, and global popular culture. She is the author of four novels, a memoir, and a short-story collection, and is Professor Emerita of English Language and Literature at Smith College.
literary fictionenvironmental fictionmemoirshort stories
Catalog record updated .
Ruth Ozeki's Newest Book
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
My Year of Meats
Ozeki's debut novel and a strong introduction to her recurring concerns with environmental politics, media, gender, and globalization.
A Tale for the Time Being
Her most widely acclaimed novel, combining her characteristic transnational, ecological, and philosophical themes.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (4)
- My Year of Meats
novel · 1998
In a single eye-opening year, two women, worlds apart, experience parallel awakenings. In New York, Jane Takagi-Little has landed a job producing Japanese docu-soap My American Wife! But as she researches the consumption of meat in the…
- All Over Creation
novel · 2003
From the author of My Year of Meats—a dramatic story of a prodigal daughter's homecoming to a heartland of genetically modified cropsMy Year of Meats, Ruth Ozeki’s delicious debut novel, won a devoted following and was hailed by critics…
- A Tale for the Time Being
novel · 2013
A brilliant, unforgettable, and long-awaited novel from bestselling author Ruth Ozeki "A time being is someone who lives in time, and that means you, and me, and every one of us who is, or was, or ever will be." In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old…
- The Book of Form and Emptiness
novel · 2021
WINNER OF THE WOMEN’S PRIZE FOR FICTION NATIONAL BESTSELLER A brilliantly inventive new novel about loss, growing up, and our relationship with things, by the Booker Prize-finalist author of A Tale for the Time Being One year after the…
Nonfiction (1)
- The Face: A Time Code
memoir · 2016
Short fiction (1)
- The Typing Lady and Other Fictions
short-story-collection · 2026
Frequently asked questions about Ruth Ozeki
Who is Ruth Ozeki?
Ruth Ozeki is an American and Canadian novelist, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest. She is also Professor Emerita of English Language and Literature at Smith College.
Sources: ruthozeki.com (opens in a new tab)smith.edu (opens in a new tab)
Is Ruth Ozeki American or Canadian?
She is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada. Her work often engages with transnational experiences and cultures.
What did Ruth Ozeki do before becoming a novelist?
After studying English literature and Asian studies at Smith College, Ozeki pursued graduate work in classical Japanese literature, taught in Japan, and studied Noh drama and mask carving. She later worked in film and directed documentaries for Japanese television.
Source: smith.edu (opens in a new tab)
What themes and influences shape Ruth Ozeki’s writing?
Her writing brings together science, religion, environmental politics, philosophy, technology, and global popular culture. Her Zen Buddhist practice also strongly informs her exploration of loss, attachment, and interconnectedness.
Sources: ruthozeki.com (opens in a new tab)smith.edu (opens in a new tab)
What major awards has Ruth Ozeki won?
Her novel The Book of Form and Emptiness won the 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction, while A Tale for the Time Being won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was shortlisted for the 2013 Booker Prize.
Sources: womensprize.com (opens in a new tab)smith.edu (opens in a new tab)thebookerprizes.com (opens in a new tab)