When the Museum is Closed

Brought to you by Penguin.

Rika Horiuchi’s new part-time job is to converse with a statue of the Venus de Milo – in Latin – every Monday, when the museum is closed.

Initially reluctant, Rika starts to enjoy her strange new job: she and Venus talk about everything. They fall in love, and (with the help of a statue of Artemis’ hunting dog) eventually break free.

This fresh and original new novel from the author of Diary of a Void confirms Emi Yagi as one of the most exciting Japanese writers published in English today.

© Emi Yagi 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025