In 1978, Haruki Murakami was twenty-nine and running a jazz bar in downtown Tokyo. One April day, the impulse to write a novel came to him suddenly while watching a baseball game. That first novel, Hearthe Wind Sing, won a new writers’ award and was published the following year. More followed, including A Wild Sheep Chase and Hard–Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but it was NorwegianWood, published in 1987, that turned Murakami from a writer into a phenomenon.
In 1978, Haruki Murakami was twenty-nine and running a jazz bar in downtown Tokyo. One April day, the impulse to write a novel came to him suddenly while watching a baseball game. That first novel, Hearthe Wind Sing, won a new writers’ award and was published the following year. More followed, including A Wild Sheep Chase and Hard–Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but it was NorwegianWood, published in 1987, that turned Murakami from a writer into a phenomenon.
Q&A Session with 2026 Dublin Literary Award shortlisted author Brigitte Giraud, author of Live Fast, exploring the inspirations behind her novel.
VideoMay 12 2026
Laurent Binet – Perspective(s) Q&A
Check out our Q&A with Laurent Binet, author of shortlisted title Perspective(s), as he discusses the inspirations behind his work and reflects on the role libraries have played in shaping his journey
VideoMay 8 2026
Ali Smith – Gliff Q&A
Shortlisted author Ali Smith discusses the creative inspirations behind Gliff and reflects on the significance of libraries throughout her reading and writing life in our latest Q&A.
