About
Haruki Murakami is a Japanese writer born in Kyoto in 1949 and raised in Kobe. After studying drama at Waseda University, he ran a jazz bar in Tokyo before devoting himself to writing. His first novel, Hear the Wind Sing (1979), won the Gunzō Prize for new writers. He gained fame with Norwegian Wood (1987), which sold over four million copies in Japan. His works, translated into more than fifty languages, blend realism and fantastical elements. He is also a translator of Anglo-American literature and has received numerous international awards.
* 1949-01-12
Major works
- Hear the Wind Sing (1979)novel
- Norwegian Wood (1987)novel
- The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994)novel
- Kafka on the Shore (2002)novel
- 1Q84 (2009)novel
Key milestones
- 1978Began writing after an epiphany at a baseball game at Jingu Stadium.
- 1987Norwegian Wood sells over four million copies in Japan.
- 2021Opening of the Haruki Murakami Library at Waseda University.
Themes
lonelinessmagical realismidentitymemorypop culture
Sources: harukimurakami.com · jpf.go.jp · andersen-award.com
