Shimizu was born in
Shibuya, Tokyo, and attended the
Seisoku Eigo Gakko in
Kanda. From 1938 to 1941, he travelled around the country, and met noted author
Riichi Yokomitsu in 1940 under whom he studied fiction writing. His first work,
Tsuru (“Crane”) published in 1941 caught the attention of noted poet
Ishida Hakyo, who took him on as a student. In 1944, his novel
Karitachi (“Wild Geese”) was awarded the prestigious
Akutagawa Prize. His output was prolific in the post-war years, and he also turned towards
literary criticism, particularly on poetry. From 1991 to 2004, he was director of the
Kamakura Museum of Literature, which he had helped create. He died in 2008 of
prostate cancer. ==References==