In the next few minutes you are going to make yourselves familiar with Haruki Murakami’s new novel to be released by Harvill Secker publishing that incorporates the most aberrant but refreshing marketing initiative we have come across in the book industry. First, you would wonder whether it is the author’s quirkiness breaking out. Then, you will most likely come to conclusion that it must be a children’s publication. The answers however are ‘NO’ and ‘NO’, which you will realize shortly.
Murakami’s new novel, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, tells the story of an adult man, Tsukuru Tazaki, who looks retrospectively at his own life, how it has changed since high school finished and how relationships, that had been made back then, faded. Finding himself ‘colourless’ without his old friends, he decides to reconnect with them and find the reason why he was cut off.
The book is full of word play and symbolic meanings having literal interpretations. For instance, a cover designed by Harvill Secker’s creative director - Suzanne Dean - represents the five main characters in the book - Mr Red, Mr Blue, Miss White, Miss Black and Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki. This is not the only creative idea that Dean stands behind though; what will truly blow readers mind is her invitation to decorate one’s novel themselves with stickers from a special free set of stickers, which the book will include. Stickers, deliciously designed by five fine Japanese illustrators, will not only be a feast for the eye, but will emphasize and represent the authenticity of Japanese culture once the book hits the shelves of Western bookstores. “These illustrators brought a uniquely Japanese style and a knowledge of Japanese detail to the project.”, said Dean. What is more, Tsukuru’s name means ‘to build’ or ‘to make’ which created an opportunity for the extraordinary mean of expression to be developed.
Where did such an innovative and unusual concept originate from?
Dean said: “The meaning of Tsukuru’s name was a gift, a perfect match for the idea of including adult stickers for the reader to use to decorate the novel. My young son’s delight in using stickers everywhere started me thinking about this. I had seen stickers used on Royal Mail stamps, on CDs and, of course, in children's books, but I didn’t think they had been incorporated into adult fiction.
“I commissioned five Japanese illustrators, who were asked to read the novel with their allotted character in mind, and to create stickers that were coloured in a way that indicated their character.”
Once again it has been proved that a lot can be learnt from observing kids and how their uninhabited minds perceive the world. What seems to be a silly and childish inspiration has a great chance of turning out a genius strategy and hit of the season.
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, translated from Japanese by Philip Gabriel, will be available in hardback and e-book with a list price of £20 from 12th August. We strongly advise that you also mark in the calendar 30th August, when Murakami will do a book signing at Waterstones Piccadilly. The opportunity will rise from the occasion of Murakami’s rare UK visit to join Edinburgh International Book Festival 2014 this Summer.