Japanese author Murakami wins Jerusalem prize

Japanese author Murakami wins Jerusalem prize 5 hours ago JERUSALEM (AFP) — Haruki Murakami, the acclaimed Japanese writer, has won the 2009 Jerusalem Prize, Israel's highest literary honour for foreign writers. The 60-year-old accepted the Jerusalem Prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society from Israeli President Shimon Peres at the opening of the international book fair in the Holy City late on Sunday. "When I was asked to accept this award I was warned from coming here because of the fighting in Gaza," the Jerusalem Post quoted the writer as saying as he accepted the 10,000-dollar (about 7,800-euro) prize.