Problem: Haruki Murakami (Cun Shang  Chun Shu , Murakami Haruki, born January 12, 1949) is a Japanese writer. His books and stories have been bestsellers in Japan as well as internationally, with his work being translated into 50 languages and selling millions of copies outside his native country. The critical acclaim for his fiction and non-fiction has led to numerous awards, in Japan and internationally, including the World Fantasy Award (2006) and the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award (2006). His oeuvre received, for example, the Franz Kafka Prize (2006) and the Jerusalem Prize (2009).

After receiving the Gunzo Award for his 1979 literary work Hear the Wind Sing, Murakami did not aspire to meet other writers. Aside from Sarah Lawrence's Mary Morris, whom he briefly mentions in his memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running alongside Joyce Carol Oates and Toni Morrison, Murakami was never a part of a community of writers, his reason being that he was a loner and was never fond of groups, schools, and literary circles. When working on a book, Murakami states that he relies on his wife, who is always his first reader. While he never acquainted himself with many writers, Murakami enjoys the works of Ryu Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto.  Haruki Murakami is a fan of crime novels. During his high school days while living in Kobe, he would buy paperbacks from second hand book stores and learned to read English. The first book that he read in English was The Name is Archer, written by Ross Macdonald in 1955. Other writers he was interested in included Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky.  Murakami also has a passion for listening to music, especially classical and jazz. When he was around 15, he began to develop an interest in jazz after attending an Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers concert in Kobe. He later opened the Peter Cat, a coffeehouse and jazz bar. Murakami has said that music, like writing, is a mental journey. At one time he aspired to be a musician, but because he could not play instruments well he decided to become a writer instead.

Who is his favorite author?

Answer with quotes: Murakami enjoys the works of Ryu Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto.


Problem: Anita Mui Yim-fong (Chinese: Mei Yan Fang ; Jyutping: Mui4 Jim6 Fong1; 10 October 1963 - 30 December 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actress making major contributions to the Cantopop music scene and receiving numerous awards and honours.

On 5 September 2003, Mui publicly announced that she had cervical cancer, from which her sister had also died. She held a series of eight shows at the Hong Kong Coliseum from 6-11 November and 14-15 November 2003, which were to be her last concerts before her death.  Her symbolic act was to "marry the stage", which was accompanied by her hit song "Sunset Melody" (Xi Yang Zhi Ge ) as she exited the stage. The last song she performed on stage was "Cherish When We Meet Again" (Zhen Xi Zai Hui Shi ), a rendition of The Manhattans' "Let's Just Kiss And Say Goodbye" on 15 November 2003, where she was accompanied by her friends on the stage. She eventually succumbed to cervical cancer and died of respiratory complications leading to lung failure at Hong Kong Sanatorium and Hospital on 30 December 2003 at 02:50 (HK local time). She was 40 years old. Thousands of fans turned out for her funeral at North Point in January 2004.  In 1998, an ATV-produced television series Forever Love Song told a story of a character which was loosely based on that of Mui, but the character names were purposely changed. In 2007, a television series was produced in China titled Anita Mui Fei (Mei Yan Fang Fei ) to tell the story of her life. The 42-episode series was broadcast by China Education Television. Some subjects, such as her suffering from cancer, Leslie Cheung's suicide. and her mother's real estate dilemma, were avoided. Alice Chan (Chen Wei ) portrayed Mui in the series.  On 11 October 2008, a show on TVB, titled Our Anita Mui (Wo Men De Mei Yan Fang ), was dedicated to Mui. Many fans and off-stage personnel who worked with her had a chance to talk about their personal experiences with Mui. Singers who participated in the show included Andy Hui, Edmond Leung, and Stephanie Cheng. Mui was cremated and her ashes are interred at the Po Lin Monastery's mausoleum on Lantau Island.  On 18 July 2014, a statue of Anita Mui was unveiled on Hong Kong's Avenue of Stars.

What other singers worked with her?

Answer with quotes:
included Andy Hui, Edmond Leung, and Stephanie Cheng.