[Transshipment] Murakami says writing like dreaming

Reported at The Japan Times Online

Novelist Haruki Murakami told an audience in Oslo this week that writing a novel is "just like having a dream."


"When you have a dream, you don’t know what’s going to happen next. If you wake up, the dream is gone. You can’t see the sequel. But I can do that, because I am a writer," Murakami said Monday. "I can continue (my) dream every morning."

Murakami said his latest novel, "1Q84," was partly influenced by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the U.S.

"You see the footage of twin buildings collapsing. To me, it is too perfect, too real. I think this could be computer graphics. My feeling was there must be a world (that) is different from this one — it could exist somewhere," Murakami said.

If 9/11 had not taken place, the president of the United States would have been a different person and the country would not have invaded Iraq, Murakami said.

"The world should be different. It’s very surrealistic," he said. "That’s the sentiment (in which) I wanted to write ’1Q84.’ "

Set in Japan in 1984, the book dwells on various themes, such as life and death, violence, religion and sex, and revolves around a female professional assassin and an aspiring male novelist.

Murakami also read a short story for the Oslo audience of about 800 people.

Asked about the process of writing, Murakami said he makes no plans for either a short story or a full-length book. "I have no plan. I don’t know what is going to happen next," he said.

His speech was given in a form of a dialogue, and he spoke in English except when reciting his work. Murakami has been staying in Oslo for about a month with his wife, and said he spent the coolest summer of his life there.

The event was held as the main attraction of a four-day Murakami festival organized by the House of Literature institution in central Oslo.

When the initial 220 tickets set aside for the speech sold out immediately, the organizer changed the arrangements to have most of the audience standing so more tickets could be offered. The speech was also broadcast live in a separate auditorium.





News content copied from：
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/nn20100826a4.html

Photo taken by Ulrichsen , Rolf Chr
and adapted from：
http://oslopuls.aftenposten.no/kunst_scene/article414561.ece


Extra information for Murakami Festival in Oslo (held by Literature House):

http://litteraturhuset.no/nyheter/2010/murakamibilletterutsolgt.html

http://www.aftenposten.no/kul_und/litteratur/article3651305.ece

P.S. All these websites are in Norwegian language. Please use Google translator if you need help.


Remark:
Oslo 奧斯陸是挪威的首都

我沒見過村上笑得像貓咪的樣子
一直看見的，都是他靦腆或很正經看書不太開心的樣子

頓覺人生其實還有很多無限性喔

好想繼續跟喜歡的人走下去  一起去探索未來
我愛你就正如我靜靜的自愛
要真的開始自愛呢 不要再熬夜、輕易心情不好
因為 我感覺到 養好自己的身體 不再像以前只為自己 也為了你阿
想跟你走過世界上任何地方呢 (笑)



耳朵正交付：
（Green） 持田香織 唱