World-renowned Japanese writer Sayaka Murata visited Bulgaria for the Literary Talks Festival, held at Sofia’s City Stage. The discussion was moderated by Bulgarian literary critic Darin Tenev, with interpretation provided by Albena Todorova. Murata, recognized as a leading figure in contemporary Japanese literature, has seen her works, including Convenience Store Woman and Earthlings, translated into Bulgarian by Colibri Publishing House.
Her novel, Shoumetsu sekai (Vanishing World), is a finalist for the Locus Award 2026 in the Translated Novel category. During the event, Murata addressed themes prevalent in her writing: the critique of societal homogeneity and the concept of individuality. She explored how the distortion of individuality can lead to authoritarianism, drawing parallels to George Orwell’s 1984.
The conversation focused on her characters’ quiet resistance—a refusal to merely function as components within a system—and the inherent dangers within such resistance. Murata described her writing process as akin to a laboratory, stating she feels no inherent taboo regarding subject matter. She shared that her literary ambition is deeply personal, noting, “If something is to kill me, I want it to be novels.”
The festival, themed “Dystopia and Resistance,” featured Murata alongside Paul Lynch.
The discussion highlighted the enduring relationship between dystopia and ambiguity in modern storytelling. Murata concluded by mentioning her frequent habit of rereading Albert Camus’s The Stranger when visiting bookstores abroad. The festival, organized by the Reading Sofia Foundation, provided a comprehensive cultural program involving numerous authors and scholars.
Topics: #sayaka #murata #literary
