Campaign Spotlight: Hooked by Asako Yuzuki

Written by Emily Lavin, Chante-Marie Dante, Georgia Rees, and Elysia Brown

Introduction

From bestselling author Asako Yuzuki, Hooked was published in the UK on 12 March 2026 by HarperCollins. Hooked, originally published in Japanese in 2015, follows the perfect Eriko and her friendship and obsession with housewife influencer Shoko, exploring themes of loneliness, womanhood and food in Japan. Hooked has been expertly translated by Polly Barton, who also brought Yuzuki’s bestselling Butter to the English-speaking market, with the novel later being named Waterstones’ Book of the Year for 2024, as well as becoming a Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller. 

Translated fiction is having its moment, largely thanks to books like Butter, with sales increasing 22% in 2023, compared to 2021 and reader interest continuing to rise. Japanese fiction has been a favourite amongst UK readers for some time now, Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto breaking through in the 1990s. Although crime has always been a much-loved genre, Japanese crime and thriller fiction has become a particularly hot commodity within publishing in recent years, with titles such as Uketsu’s Strange Houses, and Shizuko Natsuki’s Murder at Mount Fuji (as well as Butter, of course!) climbing the book charts.

Social Media

Hooked was first introduced in a vivid and eye-catching trailer posted on the 4th Estate Book Instagram page, showing the brilliantly designed cover by Julian Humphries. It was met with a positive reception from excited readers, who were intrigued about what Asako Yuzuki’s next novel had to offer. A few months later the new proof of Hooked was revealed, which showcased the new cover featuring gold foil, as well as a bookseller edition containing silver foil. The proof cover was credited to the publishing design and motion studio 525 Graphic Design, who have previously been involved in cover design, promotional material and trailer animations of works including Zadie Smith’s The Fraud, Michiko Aoyama’s What You Are Looking For is in the Library and Jennette McCurdy’s Half His Age. By including two brand new versions of the book, readers were able to enjoy the reading experience more than ever. 

Followed by the book’s trailer being additionally promoted by HarperCollins India, Asako Yuzuki decided to share some heartfelt words about the novel. In a letter addressing her readers, the author wrote: “If you read this book and think of a particular person whose friendship meant something to you but who you no longer see, then I would encourage you to get in touch with them”, and “I hope you will enjoy Hooked, and I look forward to coming to the UK to talk to you about it!” It sets the stage for readers to anticipate not only the book’s eventual release, but the author's amazing arrival. When Hooked was finally released, the Instagram post revealed a bright thumbnail containing the book cover, as well as review quotes from magazines Grazia anticipating the book’s success and Elle proclaiming this is the author at her best, heaping praise on the book. This makes Hooked stand out, making sure to grab the reader's attention.

Events

Despite the immense success of Asaki Yuzuki’s translated debut Butter (international bestseller, Waterstones Book of the Year to name a few accolades), the marketing team at HarperCollins have started with a stripped back schedule of events. A handful of Waterstones stores, including Cardiff and Bath, hosted a series of authorless publication parties. Attendees were able to join an origami workshop, Hooked themed crafts, as well as the chance to make their own book cover or poster. Tickets included a copy of the Waterstones exclusive edition, featuring scale patterned endpapers and extra material by the novel’s translator Polly Barton. Some of the stores even provided a cozy reading corner for the eager readers who could not wait and wanted to dive straight in. And most deliciously, especially with a lot of Yuzuki’s novels centring around food, Waterstones’ Cafe created an exclusive Hooked themed beetroot and vanilla matcha drink for attendees to enjoy. Speaking with The Guardian, the author spoke of her love of food in life and literature, and how her intrigue in food helped her understand “the era and also a sense of the place.”

To celebrate the book’s launch, bookshops curated special pink and yellow window displays  featuring the cover’s eye-catching fish illustration, most notably Waterstones Cardiff’s fishing line decoration. Inside the stores, readers could pick up limited edition bookmarks and badges laid out next to table displays, or book arrangements hung up on the wall, evocative of the catch of the day selection at a seafood market. Select independent bookshops were also offering Hooked totes for readers to carry all their goodies home (because you can never have enough tote bags!)