Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami

Haruki Murakami is my favourite author and writing is my profession, so naturally I had to get my hands on – and read – Novelist as a Vocation by the esteemed writer. A short little collection of essays, the book details Murakami’s thoughts on writing, how his unique style developed, as well as notes on his roots. The book was originally written in 2015 and finally translated in 2022, so I’d be interested in reading an updated version someday.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that Murakami’s unique voice and perspective shone through in his non-fiction works, just as much as it does in his fiction. Novelist as a Vocation is the first non-fiction that I’ve picked up from him, and it’s finally piqued my interest to discover his others.

Calm and thoughtful with every turn of phrase, Murakami carefully details how he began his career as an author. He comments on the Japanese writing scene and literature world, making gentle observations and posing important questions as he goes.

As a writer myself, albeit not a novelist, I found this to be an engaging and valuable read. Murakami’s to-the-point magical realism shines with almost every sentence, and I’ve made endless notes – something I rarely do these days. The book doesn’t feel repetitive at any point. In fact, I think it opens the reader’s mind to all the possibilities, different habits and methods, that are available to any aspiring writer.

A valuable read for writers and fans of Haruki Murakami.

Rating: ★★★★★/5