Sameeha Anwar

Sameeha Anwar is a Japanese-English literary translator and writer who specializes in bringing contemporary Japanese literature to English-speaking readers. Born in Bangladesh, she earned a bachelor's degree in New York before relocating to Japan, where she has worked as a freelance translator since 2016. Alongside literary translation, she has translated films, documentaries, and other media, and teaches translation at the Japan Visualmedia Translation Academy (JVTA) in Tokyo.

Anwar has gained recognition for her thoughtful and nuanced translations of Japanese literature. She received Second Prize in the Japanese Literature Publishing Project (JLPP) International Translation Competition for her translation of classical Japanese texts by the haiku poet Kobayashi Issa. Her literary translations include Genki Kawamura's Exit 8, while her audiovisual work includes the internationally acclaimed film Evil Does Not Exist.

Combining literary sensitivity with extensive experience in visual media translation, Anwar has established herself as an emerging voice in Japanese-English translation. Her work bridges cultures and genres, helping contemporary Japanese stories reach an international audience while preserving the nuance and atmosphere of the original language.