Haruki Murakami to Move to South Africa

Now that noon has come around, we’re afraid we have to admit that, yes, this was an April Fool …

Bestselling Japanese author Haruki Murakami has announced he will be moving to South Africa.

Murakami, whose books have been translated into more than 50 languages, says he has long been fascinated with South African culture and politics.

“South Africa seems like the most surreal place in the world to me,” he says. “Which I find extremely inspiring.”

The award-winning author, whose books include Norwegian Wood, Kafka on the Shore and most recently Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, says he has already begun research on his next book, inspired by South Africa’s colourful history.

“My next novel is a historical epic,” Murakami explains, “beginning two million years ago with Mrs Ples, the early ‘human’ discovered at Sterkfontein, and ending with a young South African comedian taking over an American satirical television news show.”

Murakami tells Books LIVE he plans to make the move to Mzansi towards the end of the year. A “meet and greet” for the author has been penciled in for 30/02/2016, at Exclusive Books Rosebank.

The announcement explains a shelving anomaly that was spotted by Books LIVE deputy editor Helené Prinsloo late last year:

Book details

• Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami
  EAN: 9781846558337
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• The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami
  EAN: 9780385354301
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• 1Q84: Book Three by Haruki Murakami
  EAN: 9781846554056
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• The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
  EAN: 9780679775430
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• Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
  EAN: 9780099458326
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• Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
  EAN: 9780099448822
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