Suekichi Aono

Literary critic. Born on February 24, 1890 in Sado, Niigata Prefecture. During his junior high school days in Sado, he was drawn to socialist ideology through the works of Kōtoku Shūsui and others. Graduated from the Department of English Literature at Waseda University. In 1922 (Taishō 11), he wrote the critique "The Annihilation of Spirits" and began his career as a critic. He later became a member of the journals "The Sower" and "The Literary Front" and played an active role as a leading theorist in the proletarian literature movement. In particular, his two essays "Researched Art" (1925) and "Natural Growth and the Sense of Purpose" (1926) provided pointers to the correlation between proletarian literature and the Marxist movement, as well as creative problems, and had a great influence on early proletarian literature. Collections of critiques from this period include "The Art of Liberation" (1926) and "The Struggle for Marxist Literature" (1929). He changed his views after being arrested in the Popular Front Incident in 1938 (Showa 13). After the war, he was active as a progressive and rational person with a wide range of interests, including rebuilding the Japan P.E.N. Club and becoming president of the Japan Writers Association. He passed away on June 23, 1961. He is the author of many books, including the collection of essays Literature and Society (1936) and the memoir Fifty Years of Literature (1957). His son, Aono So, won the Akutagawa Prize for The Night of the Fool (1979).

[Hiroshi Otsuka]

"Selected Works of Tokiyoshi Aono" (1950, Kawade Shobo) "The Diary of Tokiyoshi Aono" (1964, Kawade Shobo Shinsha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

文芸評論家。明治23年2月24日新潟県佐渡に生まれる。佐渡中学時代、幸徳秋水(こうとくしゅうすい)らの著作を通して社会主義思想に傾く。早稲田(わせだ)大学英文科卒業。1922年（大正11）評論『心霊の滅亡』を書き、本格的に評論活動を展開。のち『種蒔(たねま)く人』『文芸戦線』の同人となりプロレタリア文学運動の代表的理論家として活躍。ことに『「調べた」芸術』（1925）、『自然生長と目的意識』（1926）の2論文は、プロレタリア文学とマルクス主義運動との相関、創作上の問題などに指標を与え、初期プロレタリア文学に多大な影響を与えた。この期の評論集に『解放の芸術』（1926）、『マルクス主義文学闘争』（1929）がある。1938年（昭和13）人民戦線事件による検挙を機に転向。戦後は日本ペンクラブの再建、日本文芸家協会会長就任など、幅広い進歩的良識派として活躍した。昭和36年6月23日没。評論集『文芸と社会』（1936）、回想記『文学五十年』（1957）ほか多数の著書がある。『愚者の夜』（1979）で芥川(あくたがわ)賞を受賞した青野聰(そう)はその子息。

［大塚　博］

『『青野季吉選集』（1950・河出書房）』▽『『青野季吉日記』（1964・河出書房新社）』

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