Japanese author Haruki Murakami receives book award

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• published: 21 Jul 2015
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1. Israeli President Shimon Peres and Japanese author Haruki Murakami entering conference hall 2. Murakami sitting in hall, to his right Peres and next to him Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat 3. Low angle shot of Murakami and Peres 4. Mid of Murakami, pull out wide of hall as announcer introduces him and crowd applauds 5. Murakami and Peres 6. Wide of audience in hall 7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Nir Barkat, Mayor of Jerusalem: "For his important message of tolerance, humanism and understanding and his continued literary achievements, I am proud to award Haruki Murakami the 2009 Jerusalem prize." 8. Murakami walking onto stage 9. Cutaway of photographers 10. Murakami receiving award, shaking hands with Barkat UPSOUND: applause 11. Crowd applauding 12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Haruki Murakami, Novelist and winner of 2009 Jerusalem prize: "After receiving notice of this award I asked myself whether travelling to Israel at a time like this and accepting a literary prize is a proper thing to do and whether this creates the impression I supported one side in the conflict and that I endorse the policies of a nation that chose to unleash it's overwhelming military power. Neither of course do I see my books subjected to a boycott. Finally however, after careful consideration, I made up my mind to come here. One reason for my decision is that all too many people advised me not to do it, like many other novelists I tend to do the exact opposite of what I am told, yeah..." (crowd clapping) 13. Cutaway wide of Murakami at the podium 14. SOUNDBITE (English) Haruki Murakami, Novelist and winner of 2009 Jerusalem prize: "I choose to come here rather than stay away. I chose to see for myself rather than not to see. I chose to speak to you rather than to say nothing. So please do allow me to deliver a message, one very personal message. It is something I keep in my mind, always keep in my mind while I am writing fiction. I have never gone so far as to write it on a piece of paper and paste it to the wall, rather it is carved into the wall of my mind. It goes something like this - between high solid wall and an egg (that) breaks against it I will always stand on the side of the egg. No matter how right the wall may be, how wrong the egg I will be standing with the egg." 15. Pan from Murakami at podium to crowd cheering 16. Murakami surrounded by fans and signing autographs 17. Close-up of autograph with pull out to show two fans holding up a Murakami novel 18. Murakami leaving, surrounded by cameramen and fans STORYLINE Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami was in Jerusalem on Sunday, to receive a prestigious award, despite threats by readers in his native Japan that they would boycott his books should he visit Israel. In remarks he made after he received the 2009 Jerusalem prize, Murakami said he had been "advised" not to visit Israel after its ferocious assault on the Gaza Strip. But he said he ignored the warning. "Like many other novelists I tend to do the exact opposite of what I'm told," he said, to raucous applause. On a more serious note the novelist added, "I chose to see for myself rather than not to see." He had thought long and hard about his decision, he told the audience, which included Israeli President Shimon Peres. "I asked myself whether travelling to Israel at a time like this and accepting a literary prize is a proper thing to do and whether this creates the impression I supported one side in the conflict and that I endorse the policies of a nation that chose to unleash it's overwhelming military power." Murakami had said in an earlier interview with Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot that his main criticism of the Israeli offensive in Gaza was over the vast difference in size between the two sides. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/f3ae51252f6d4e4d8e79b85b2ab15718 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork