World-renowned Japanese writer Sayaka Murata visited Bulgaria for the first time to participate in the Literary Talks Festival at Sofia’s City Stage. The discussion featured Bulgarian literary critic Darin Tenev as moderator, with interpretation provided by Albena Todorova. A leading figure in contemporary Japanese literature, Murata’s works, including Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings, have been translated into over 30 languages.
During the session, Murata addressed themes central to her writing: the critique of homogeneity and uniformity in modern society. She reflected on the concept of individuality, noting how its distortion can contribute to authoritarianism. The conversation drew parallels to George Orwell’s 1984, exploring how individuals maintain a quiet resistance by refusing to fully participate in systemic structures.
Murata’s characters, she explained, embody this refusal, a tension she further explores in novels like Sekai 99. The discussion also touched upon the relationship between traditional storytelling and contemporary dystopia. When questioned about transgressing literary taboos, Murata stated that she feels no such limitations, describing her writing process as an assembly of various human elements.
She concluded by noting her personal habit of revisiting Albert Camus’s The Stranger in every foreign bookstore. The Literary Talks Festival, themed “Dystopia and Resistance,” also featured Paul Lynch. The event, organized by the Reading Sofia Foundation, serves as a major cultural platform, involving numerous readings, workshops, and international participation, cementing its status as a significant literary gathering.
Topics: #sayaka #murata #literary
