Novelist as a Vocation

Murakami has countless dedicated fans around the world, many of whom have probably long been hungry to learn more about his creative process. So far, in the US, we’ve gotten translations of his musings on running, music, and t-shirts, but this will be the first time (outside of the occasional interview) that we get to read Murakami’s thoughts on his own writing and the nature of the novel as a whole. I’ve always been inspired by his work, making this my most anticipated release of the year.  Recommended By Mar S., Powells.com

A charmingly idiosyncratic look at writing, creativity, and the author's own novels, from the beloved and best-selling author of 1Q84 and Norwegian Wood

In this engaging book, the internationally best-selling author and famously private writer Haruki Murakami shares with readers his thoughts on the role of the novel in our society; his own origins as a writer; and his musings on the sparks of creativity that inspire other writers, artists, and musicians. Here are the personal details of a life devoted to craft: the initial moment at a Yakult Swallows baseball game, when he suddenly knew he could write a novel; the importance of memory, what he calls a writer's "mental chest of drawers"; the necessity of loneliness, patience, and his daily running routine; the seminal role a carrier pigeon played in his career. Readers who have long wondered where the mysterious novelist gets his ideas and what inspires his strangely surreal worlds will be fascinated by this insightful and unique look at the craft of writing and into the mind of a master storyteller.

“...a revealing self-portrait that answers many burning questions about its reclusive subject….Novelist as a Vocation is a rare and welcome peek behind the curtain of a singular mind.” Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire

Haruki Murakami was born in Kyoto in 1949 and now lives near Tokyo. His work has been translated into more than fifty languages, and one of the most recent of his many international honors is the Cino Del Duca World Prize, whose previous recipients include Jorge Luis Borges, Ismail Kadare, Mario Vargas Llosa, and Joyce Carol Oates.