Haruki Murakami: From Recent Illness to His Father’s War Memories
In a recent interview, Japanese author Haruki Murakami spoke about an illness that kept him from writing and running for a time, two activities that have been an inseparable part of his life for nearly half a century. He also discussed his literary style, adaptations of his works for the London stage, his father’s war memories, and the need to preserve historical memory.
According to the report of Ambassador Arjan of Iran (Safir Arjan) from The Times, Haruki Murakami, a 77-year-old Japanese writer, has resumed writing and running after a period of illness that led to his hospitalization and weight loss of 17 kilograms. He, who has published 16 novels and several collections of short stories during his literary career, says that the disease suddenly disrupted the order of his life and even destroyed his passion for writing.
Murakami, who sees running as part of his writing discipline, has been running several kilometers a day and participating in marathons for years. Now after recovery, he has returned to this habit and believes that writing allows him to understand the experience of different generations and create characters of different ages, regardless of his actual age.
His connection with the younger generation was highlighted this year with an unexpected meeting with British singer Harry Styles. Stiles, who is a fan of Murakami's works, traveled to Hawaii to talk with the author. The main focus of their conversation was running, art and personal experiences; Topics that both of them are closely related to in their professional lives.
Murakami has also spoken about his complex relationship with his works on the eve of the theatrical adaptation of the novel "Cruel Wonderland and Underworld" at the Barbican Arts Center in London. He, who usually does not welcome the adaptation of his literature for theater and cinema, praised the new performance of this novel, although he still avoids direct interpretation of his works.
Murakami's literary style is based on simple and conversational prose, details of everyday life and combining reality with fantasy elements. The characters of his works are often lonely and alienated people who encounter unexpected events in the course of their normal life. Behind this imaginary atmosphere, topics such as violence, loneliness and historical memories also have a prominent presence.
Part of Murakami's historical concerns go back to his father's experiences during the war. His father was in Manchuria during World War II and witnessed the brutality of a Chinese prisoner. Murakami recently wrote a book called "Abandoning a Cat" about his father and the impact of his wartime experiences on their family life. In this work, he deals with the transmission of mental injuries between generations.
The author has also criticized nationalistic tendencies in Japan and efforts to downplay the country's historical responsibility for the war. According to him, the passage of time should not be an excuse to forget the past and the new generations should also take the responsibility of remembering and facing history.
Murakami, who has been considered one of the candidates for the Nobel Prize in Literature for many years, has not yet received this prize. Despite his global fame, he still feels uncomfortable with the widespread media attention and sometimes compares his literary success to a fleeting dream.
Murakami's appearance in London, in addition to performing a play adapted from one of his most important novels, also includes programs about his cinematic works and his long-time interest in jazz music; An art that was an important part of his professional life before seriously entering the world of writing.
He is asked if he is not surprised that the Nobel Prize in 2016 went to American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan for his songs and not to him. “No, not at all,” Murakami replies. He is a great writer and I think he deserved the award." He then returns to his past; When he was running a jazz bar and had not yet become a famous writer.
"I used to have a jazz bar, and I still feel the same way," Murakami says. I enjoyed it, but then I became a novelist. I still can't believe this happened. I became famous and successful as a writer. Sometimes I think everything is like a dream; "It's like I'm going to wake up and see that everything is gone."
Hamedan- Hamedan province, with an ancient background in the history and civilization of Iran, these days hosts a comprehensive narrative of its historical and cultural identity in the form of an encyclopedia of the province's culture, civilization and celebrities; A collection that collects hundreds of research works in the fields of history, geography, celebrities, rituals, language and art, tries to record the heritage of this land and pass it on to future generations.
The closing ceremony of the World Space Week with the slogan "Satellite Revolution" and hosted by the Center for Science and New Technologies of Iran (KAFNA) will be held on Tuesday, October 21, 1405 in Tehran.
In a recent interview, Haruki Murakami, the famous Japanese writer, spoke about an illness that prevented him from writing and running for a while; Two activities that have been an integral part of his life for nearly half a century. He also spoke about his literary style, the adaptation of his works in the London theater, his father's war memories and the necessity of preserving historical memory.
The publication of Zoya Pirzad's new novel after 22 years is an opportunity to examine the relationship between readers' literary memory and the reception of new books.
The history of the first car with a license plate in the country goes back to 1305, when the first cars arrived in Iran. At that time, a set of regulations including 32 clauses for the numbering of cars was compiled, although these rules were finalized three years after the entry of cars, i.e. in 1308. According to these regulations, cars had to install five separate license plates.
"The Bookseller" and "The Stage" publications have sent an open letter to the Prime Minister, calling for immediate government action to reform trade barriers and save vital cultural centers in the UK.
The director of Nimage Publishing says: the conditions have changed in such a way that some publishers prefer not to include the price on the book; Because if a certain price is written on the book, they may have to change it shortly after.
"Aqtdar Speid" ceremony is held with the aim of honoring the memory of three martyred nurses of the 12-day war, martyred Mahnaz Nemati, martyred Homan Ghiathund and martyred Mahdiar Puriyamin, at the same time as the blessed birthday of Hazrat Zainab (PBUH) and Nurse's Day.
Hormozgan - Literary researchers in Hormozgan examined the unbreakable links between Persian poetry and Hormozgan culture at the Hafez anniversary meeting and emphasized that Hafez is the guardian of the Persian language and vocabulary.
The unveiling of three books of the Tehran-Mubarak International Puppet Theater Festival was held in the presence of Atabek Naderi, Director General of Performing Arts.
Fars - The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance pointed out that Hafez opened a new book and chapter in the Persian language and said: Hafez made Persian poetry different.
Fars - The mayor of Shiraz, referring to the operation of Fereshtagan Minab library in district 11 of this city, said: This cultural complex was built with the aim of developing cultural infrastructure and expanding citizens' access to library facilities, on a land with an area of about 2,000 square meters and with an infrastructure of more than 1,500 square meters on four floors.
On the occasion of Hafez's memorial day, the grave of this poet in Shiraz was showered today on the 20th of Mehr.
Fars - Seyyed Abbas Salehi, Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, visited Shiraz calligrapher Alireza Karimpour during his trip to Shiraz.
The latest issue of the Green Cellulose Industry Quarterly was published with a look at the state of the cellulose and paper industry during the war.
Razavi Khorasan- The commemoration ceremony of the first anniversary of the death of Mahmoud Rouhani, a prominent and distinguished physician and Quranic scholar, will be held in Mashhad along with the unveiling of his latest scientific work.
Dr. Abulqasem Radfar, a professor of Persian language and literature and a senior member of the scientific faculty of the Institute of Humanities and Cultural Studies, passed away.
The first meeting of "Screenplay Era" was held last Sunday, October 19, with the presence of Mahmoud Arbabi, Farhad Tawhidi and Saeed Qutbizadeh, by Screenplay Bank in cooperation with Cinema House.
The great conference of law and literature, with the focus on examining legal and social concepts in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, Golestan Saadi and other Persian classics, seeks to open a new window to Iran's literary heritage and link it with legal knowledge.
Fars - The first smart library of Fars province named "Fershtgan Minab" public library was opened today in Shiraz with the presence of the Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance.
Kermanshah - Kermanshah has been the subject of many researches and writings over the years, and part of the history, culture, society and identity of this land has been recorded in books and written sources. However, what has been collected and researched so far is not the end of the way to know Kermanshah. Among the sources collected for researchers, there are still parts of the history and identity of this province that need to be studied, recorded and documented; A problem that highlights the need to pay attention again to the assets and gaps of the sources of Kermanshah history.
Fatemeh Sadat Mirrezi said: When a historian starts the history of Islam from creation, brings it to his own time through the history of prophets and previous nations, and then places it on the horizon of the end of time, he is actually not just reporting the past; Rather, it also interprets its present time in a larger historical whole.
With the presence of professors of Persian language and literature, the unveiling meeting and signing ceremony of "One went, one came, and other new works by Sadegh Hedayat" will be held.
Mehrangiz Akhavi: Sometimes a good story, without directly talking about friendship, courage, acceptance of differences or responsibility, puts these concepts in the child's life. In my opinion, a story that prompts a child's mind to move after the end can have a deeper and more lasting impact than dozens of educational sentences.
Khorasan Razavi - The 19th of October 1405 is the 87th anniversary of the birth of the poet, researcher and scholar of Iranian literature and citizen of Neyshabur, "Mohammedreza Shafiei Kodkani". The following picture shows the graduation certificate of this enduring figure of Iranian literature from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, which was issued in June 1344, with a score of 19 in the field of Persian language and literature. A document from the scholarly days of a man whose name still shines in the sphere of poetry and literary research in Iran and the world.
Amiri Tehrani said: The ancient works and historical documents cited by the speakers are a reflection of the spirit of Iranian culture and thought, which has been manifested in the civilizational background of this land, including the Persian Gulf and the Oman Sea. A culture and thought that has continued since ancient Iran and has guaranteed the continuity of the Iranian world.
What is the story? A false and colorful story that historians have added to history in order to attract a general audience, or the story behind a hidden and unofficial curtain of historical events that has been removed from historical books by censorship or censorship?
The National Committee of the Nobel Laureate Prize in Iran published the call for the first round of the 2026 International Nobel Laureate Prize in the fields of literature and visual arts.
Farhad Hemmati wrote: In addition to advancing the Nazi goals in the university, Heidegger also controlled the professors and students and even spied on the professors and gave secret reports. Like the case of Edward Baumgarten, who followed John Dewey's pragmatism in philosophy, which caused him to be expelled from the university.