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Indies plan events for Murakami launch

29.09.11 | Graeme Neill

Independent booksellers are lining up special events for Haruki Murakami's eagerly awaited 1Q84 (Harvill Secker) with Foyles planning a midnight opening.

The book, Murakami's first since 2007's After Dark, will be published on 18th October, priced £20. It comprises volumes one and two of the story, with volume three published as a separate hardback on 25th October.

Foyles will have 1,500 exclusive editions of each of the two books dipped in red [pictured], also priced £20. On 9pm on the 17th October, it will hold a Murakami evening in its cafe in the Charing Cross Road branch, playing the author's favourite music and holding readings from his work. The branch will open at 12.01am, when the book will go on sale.

The independent is also holding a short story competition where writers can win Murakami's backlist and the limited editions of his new book. Head of buying Jasper Sutcliffe said: "Haruki Murakami is a firm favourite with Foyles customers and staff alike."

Crystal Palace independent The Bookseller Crow on the Hill is selling Murakami t-shirts at £18 in the shop or £15 if a copy of 1Q84 is bought.

Meanwhile, north London independent The Big Green Bookshop is also running an event on the eve of publication. For a £30 ticket price it is offering customers an evening of Japanese food, a screening of the movie adaptation of Murakami's Norwegian Wood and a copy of IQ84.

Writing on the shop's blog, co-owner Simon Key said: "A long-awaited treat for his fans, 1Q84 is also a thrilling introduction to the unique world of Murakami’s imagination. This hypnotically addictive novel is a work of startling originality and, as the title suggests, a mind-bending ode to George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four."

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