Noriko Ogiwara

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Noriko Ogiwara (荻原規子, 1959-) is a Japanese writer of fantasy.

Noriko Ogiwara was born in 1959. Having read C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia at a very early age, she made up her mind of becoming a fantasy writer.

Her first book, Sorairo Magatama (空色勾玉 "Sky-colored Jade"; see magatama) won her several awards for children's literature and was translated into English by Cathy Hirano as Dragon Sword and Wind Child; the English version is now out-of-print. The two sequels, Hakuchou Iden (白鳥異伝 "swan's strange legend") and Usubeni Tennyo (薄紅天女 "pink nymph"), have only been published in Japanese. These three books together were called "The Jade Trilogy".

Ogiwara's most recent work is Nishi No Yoki Majo (西の善き魔女 "Good Witch of the West Astraea Testament"). A western-styled high fantasy series featuring a girl on the quest of finding out the mysteries surrounding the legends of her country and her friends. 8 books (including 3 side stories also penned by her) and 9 manga (it is currently serialized by Haruhiko Momokawa on Comic Blade) of this series have been published in Japanese so far. Recently the first two volumes was translated in English as The Good Witch of the West. The Good Witch of the West is also animated as The Good Witch of the West Astraea Testament, and it is now airing in Japan as of early April 2006.