The ’50 Novel challenge’ is more a personal thing, not intended for anyone to join per se, but feel free to do as you wish. If you do I’d love to hear what your 50 choices are going to be, especially with you being an English teacher – I know I could learn a lot about choices in literature from a guru like you.

NaNoWriMo I gave up on last year. I didn’t enjoy the forced time-limit, even though it were only for a rough first draft. If I’m ever going to write in a fictional sense (which I still don’t think I’m anywhere near ready for), I think I’d rather progress at my own pace. We’ll see but I’m disappointed to hear that you don’t consider yourself good enough to create. You’re a teacher of the craft for goodness sake! )

Anyway I’m writing ‘on the hop’ so speak soon and thanks again for putting a smile on my face.
Warmest
Rob
P.S. I passed on your comments to Katy to which she gave in response a typical teenage grunt of gratitude and thanks.

Love the site, I have to say. It really made my day to see someone so passionate about what I call “my world”. Really refreshing to read an erudite ‘book blog’ for a change – thank you!

Yes, I am a very big Murakami fan. I lived in Japan for six years and fell in love with his magical realism and Jay Rubin’s lyrical translations (not to mention Vintage’s covers). He is not all I read, though…

I am very keen to take up the ’50 novels in a year’ challenge (piece of cake seeing as I am a secondary school English teacher and have lots of school holidays and need to read something other than teen fiction when not in term time). I have tried NaNoWriMo once before but, alas, I am more of an editor than a creator, I’m afraid – but best of luck!

Thanks again for this wonderful place…I will be back often.

Cheers

Cate

P.S. Tell your daughter Katy that the Twighlight series is huge with girls her age in Australia and also (secretly) with their English teachers . She might also be interested in Australian author Sonya Hartnett, a little off the wall but intriguing…

In answer to your question I’m not sure who is ultimately responsible for the design of the Vintage covers. A specific designer is never credited but they always credit the source of photographs and the calligraphy of Ruth Rowland whenever they use it. My guess – it’s their in-house design team who do the work.

As for the Murakami Diary – yes I have seen it. In fact I just missed out by a couple of minutes in ‘bagging’ a freebie one a few weeks back on Twitter. Arrgghh at the time but such is life I guess.

Since writing I’ve managed to add another Murakami to my collection – The Elephant Vanishes, which I’m incredibly happy about.

Anyway good luck with the hunt for Pinball. I hope you find a copy. Drop by again any time and let me (us) know how you got on.
Warmest
Rob

@Rob: I too covet the UK covers and while I’ve read every single Murakami I am yet to aquire them all (three to go)…My question is this: who designs the Vintage covers? I lov Chip Kidd’s designs but really prefer the UK editions and as I live in Australia I am lucky that these are the only ones I seem to find. P.S. have you seen this?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=murakami+haruki+diary

Cheers

Cate

Secondly ‘Hear the Wind Sing’. Nice cover, but your in-depth knowledge of Murakami (together with your incredible knowledge on translated works in general) begs the question – Do you ever not read?
Warmest
Rob

Rob, amongst my collection I have one Murakami you won’t be seeing any time soon outside of Japan. Hear The Wind Sing, which is the first novel in the Trilogy of the Rat. The second was Pinball, 1973, and the third was A Wild Sheep Chase, which itself has a sequel in Dance Dance Dance. The latter was the first Murakami I read, unbeknownst to me it was the fourth in a loose series.