How we work: Haruki Murakami, author

Murakami's commute from Oiso into Tokyo to write from a city-central apartment is part of a rigourous personal regime:

At 53, Murakami is dauntingly prolific and almost aggressively healthy. He swims and runs daily, and has run marathons in New York, Boston and Sapporo. He is in bed by 9 p.m. and up at 4. "You need power to be a good writer"

On the Tokyo metro sarin attack changing his writing:

The shock I felt when I interviewed the victims of the sarin attack for "Underground" [nonfiction; 2000] changed my life, my entire point of view, and even my style of writing. I didn't imagine that such a thing could happen. I was doing those interviews for a full year, and I interviewed about 60 people. [...] That's what I think about when I write fiction these days: more details and simpler words. In my younger days, I was trying to write sophisticated prose and fantastic stories. I think "Underground" was the turning point in my writing.

And takes the time to answer reader email (in prefence to reading professional critics):

I answer my readers' e-mails, you know. I read about 100 per day, and I write 10 to 20 replies. I think it's necessary for me. [...]  Sometimes they actually help me to think about the books I've written.

More how we work.

Comments

[Ziyi]

Can somebody tell me Murakami's e-mail address?
Thx a lot!

[Anna Contessa]

I would also like a contact for Murakami please. Preferably e-mail since he stated that he mostly reads those.

[Anna Contessa]

Well, since its been ages and no one responds to our comments, then I will assume that Murakami has no cares for his fan base and it makes me like him less.

[rodcorp]

To be fair Anna, I think that all you can assume from this is that Murakami hasn't seen this page (and perhaps might not be in the habit of publishing his email address on the internet even if he did see it).

If you want to make contact with him, why not contact his publisher? That's the usual way to get in touch with an author.

[Anna Contessa]

I had to give MY e-mail address to publish this! I tried sending a letter with some spelling corrections for Kafka on the Shore to Mr. Murakami's publisher, but it was returned to me, because the info. that I found is not current. Anyway, I was just trying to help him by pointing out errors that his editor made...but since there is no way to find any mode of current contact or an up to date publisher online that nevermind. I'll have to write my own book and make sure that it doesn't include spelling errors instead.

[Anna Contessa]

I guess I'll contact Murakami's publisher. Thx. :)

[Anna Contessa]

When I find the publisher info. that is...

[Anna Contessa]

Well, I wrote my book, and I hope that there aren't any spelling errors in it. However, punctuation could be a problem. I'm sure that Murakami's publishers read his mss thoroughly, but maybe they aren't paying enough attention to grammar. Anyway, he's a great writer, and one that I look up to. :)

[Anna Contessa]

*a few spoilers* Keep in mind that Murakami's new novel After Dark is now available from Random House. I am on page 62 and I only started reading this morning and picked it up off and on...which makes me very sad, because I know its going to be a fast read. However, I will stretch it out for as long as possible. So far, I am encouraged by his work, because from reading the synopsis I had an expectation that Murakami was selling out to a sensationalist approach. A novel with a model who sleeps her life away and a sister who stays out all night at Denny's seemed like the perfect stage for sensationalism. I was surprised to find out that Murakami took the lead again and surprised me with a more modern Kenzaburo Oe type of voice, instead of garnering cheap thrills with exorbitant themes. So far, he does an excellent job of creating interesting characters and capturing the nuances of the city after dark.

[Anna Contessa]

Just a quick comment, I hope that Murakami is planning a sequel to After Dark, because it would be nice to find out more about what happens to the characters. I wished that the book was longer and I would consider it his lightest read yet.

[Alarm]

Anna - I just finished "After Dark" myself an hour ago, haha - yeah, it was a quick read, and one of his lightest works... And definitely not my favorite... but ah well. I would love to get in contact with Murakami as well... I'm absolutely in love with him! Reading all his works has just been amazing! He must be a genius, I'm sure of it. Now I'm just browsing the internet reading interviews by him and other stuff.

[Andy]

Random House has stated that they won't give out authors' email addresses. There has to be some other way to find his email address. I mean, how can he answer fan emails if fans can't email him?

[Anna]

Alarm,
Yeah, I'm not in love with him, I started reading him in high school after a friend recommended his work. I fell into his world and felt like I could relate to his prose. However, I've never felt seduced by a novelist or amazed by one. I think that people are capable of anything and that there are writer's out there who have yet to push the limits of what it means to be a great writer. So far, the classics have been most compelling to me, but I think that Murakami's work will become classic literature...in a slightly more offbeat genre like Kerouac. Anyway, the best people are impossible to get in touch with, I could go out and find a paperback novelist in any bookstore and get a signature, but Murakami is truly hard to find. It makes me more interested...so sad how that works, isn't it?

[Anna]

I think that the whole point is that Murakami thinks that he is above working for his fans. He doesn't seem to care about the people who buy his books, because its a pain. Whatever, I have more respect for people who have contact with fans through any medium.

[rodcorp]

Anna, perhaps he can no longer read and reply to fan emails because, say, there are a many more fans and emails these days (on which topic see Neal Stephenson on Why He's Not a Good Correspondent http://www.nealstephenson.com/content/author_bad.htm ), or because his english isn't good enough, or for some other personal reason, or because Random House have made a unilateral decision, or... who knows, right? It seems a bit harsh to damn him just because it isn't trivially easy to get into an email conversation with him.

Perhaps correspondents could write to him care of Random House rather than merely asking for his personal email address. That sort of thing usually works better.

[Anna Contessa]

I tried writing him care of his publisher and it never worked. I give up. Its not worth the time and effort. I can't be a fan of his.

[Anna Contessa]

I don't want to send him a letter anymore.

[Elmira]

I have just read"kafka on the shore" and It really left me speechless for a while.I liked it so much and I think it is a great piece of work.For me it was not just a novel, it revealed alot to me.I could feel every word of it and I think I even managed to read between the lines.so cleverly written

[Midori]

Anna said: "or because his english isn't good enough"...wtf....he translated more than 30 books from english to japanese...i think you should write something about him until speeking...
he's a great writter..hi's my favourite..his books are amaizing..it would be great if i could send him en e-mail...

[Midori]

oh..and Anna...he's reciving hundreds of e-mails...he's a normal person..he can't answer all the time to all...take it easy
this is not a reason to stop reading murakami's books or liking him less

[Ron Baruch]

I have just finished reading "Kafka on the shore". This book is more then good, it's genuine and it teaches you a few things about yourself.
Like some of you who posted yheir comments here, my reaction was that I'd really like to talk to Mr. Murakami so I looked in Google and here I am.
I think I would have a few things to tell him, that he would understand, and maybe enjoy. Esspecially about cats.
I hope he enters this web page some times.