What We Talk About When We Talk About Murakami Haruki’s Translators : Towards a Translator-Centred Model of Literary Circulation

This volume shifts attention from the global reception of world-famous author, MURAKAMI Haruki’s works, to the translators whose labour enables its circulation.

This volume shifts attention from the global reception of world-famous author, MURAKAMI Haruki’s works, to the translators whose labour enables its circulation. Moving beyond established discussions of literary style, market success, and readership, the book foregrounds the often-overlooked role of translators as cultural mediators, advocates, and agents in the international transmission of literature. Featuring contributions from translators working into Bengali, Catalan, Chinese, Italian, Russian, and Thai, alongside scholars specialising in the circulation of MURAKAMI’s works in East and South Asia, the volume provides a rare comparative and practice-based perspective on translating one of the world’s most widely read contemporary authors. Drawing on reflective accounts, professional experiences, and critical analysis, contributors explore the challenges, negotiations, and creative decisions involved in translating MURAKAMI across diverse linguistic and publishing environments. The book will appeal to scholars and students of Translation Studies, Japanese Studies, Comparative Literature, and World Literature, as well as literary translators and publishing professionals. By illuminating the social, cultural, and commercial dimensions of translation, the volume develops our understanding of translator agency and how global literary circulation is shaped through local contexts and translational practices.