Hello Gentle Reader,
Putting aside ones own personal thoughts and opinions, there can be no denying that Haruki Murakami has a talent for winning and receiving international literary awards. The latest accolade bestowed upon Japan's most well-known literary export, is Spain's Princess of Asturias Award for Literature (formerly Prince of Asturias). This award has been bestowed to many great writers through the years which includes both giants of international literature, and giants of the Spanish language still awaiting discovery in the English language. Previous recipients include:
José Ángel Valente (1988)
Francisco Umbral (1996)
Gunter Grass (1999)
Doris Lessing (2001)
Claudio Magris (2004)
Amos Oz (2007)
Margaret Atwood (2008)
Adam Zagajewski (2017)
Anne Carson (2020)
Emmanuel Carrère (2021)
Now the casual surrealist and spaghetti fetishist, Haruki Murakami, joins their ranks. It is interesting to read the judging panels rationale, praise, and decision regarding the chosen winner. In the case of Haruki Murakami, the panel praised Murakami's sense of approachability and bridging between cultures of Japan and the Western hemisphere, all the while tackling themes of urban alienation, youth driven existential uncertainty, and the rampant rise of loneliness in a postmodern and hyper-consumerist capitalist society.
The Princess of Asturias Award for Literature certainly pairs well with a many of the other international accolades bestowed upon Haruki Murakami, including the Jerusalem Prize in 2009 and the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2016 and the America Award in Literature in 2018.
Congratulations to Haruki Murakami.
Take Care
And As Always
Stay Well Read
M. Mary
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