Fans queue for 18 hours to meet Murakami

In London, readers queued for up to 18 hours for a book signing with author Haruki Murakami, reports the Bookseller. Fans began queuing outside Waterstones Piccadilly in London from 5pm, 29 August, to meet Murakami at 11am the following day. There were 400 people waiting in line by 5am according to publisher Harvill Secker, then Waterstones booksellers decided to close the queue at 7am, because it was too long. ‘Haruki Murakami arrived at the bookshop at 11am to cheers and applause,’ said Harvill Secker publicity director Bethan Jones. In a two-hour session, Murakami signed copies of his most recent novel Colorless Tsukuru and His Years of Pilgrimage. During the event, Harvill Secker announced it would publish Murakami’s Strange Library in English on 2 December 2014, a short book first published in Japanese in 2008. Murakami had appeared at the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Waterstones Piccadilly store was the last event for his first book tour in 10 years.

Category: International news