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Haruki Murakami

See our definitive ranking of Haruki Murakami's books on the B&N Reads blog.

A leading figure in postmodern literature, Haruki Murakami was born in Kyoto in 1949. His first novel, Hear the Wind Sing, won the Gunzou Literature prize for budding writers, which he followed with many other novels, including Kafka on the Shore; The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle; 1Q84; Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World; and Norwegian Wood, which saw a film adaptation released in Japan in 2010. In 2015, he was named one of the Time 100 most influential people. His work has been translated into more than fifty languages worldwide.

Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami was born in 1949 in Kyoto, Japan to two literature teachers, whom he attributes to his upbringing as an avid reader. Since childhood, Murakami was exposed to Western culture, especially in music and literature. These Western influences are reflected in his writings. He studied drama at Waseda University and worked in a record shop as a sales clerk whilst in school. Before his writing career, he was an owner of a Jazz bar named Peter Cat, named after his own cat. After successfully launching his career as a writer with his first novel, Hear the Wind Sing, Murakami has since written at least 14 works of fiction and over 50 short stories. One of Murakami's newest books includes, First Person Singular, a collection of eight short stories, all told in the first person. Preorder his latest book, The City and Its Uncertain Walls, up for a November, 2024 release, here.Here's some of our bookseller's favorite Murakami novels:The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles A Wild Sheep Chase Dance Dance Dance Kafka on the Shore After Dark 1Q84 Killing Commendatore