Names and faces

■ A new Haruki Murakami novel will be published in April and the publisher is saying little about it except that the Japanese manuscript is about 1,200 pages and the plot involves “a story that had long been sealed.” “The City and Its Uncertain Walls” will be released April 13 in print and digital formats, Shinchosha Publishing Co. said Wednesday. The availability of an English translation is not yet known. In a brief, cryptic teaser, the publisher said: “Must go to the city. No matter what happens. A locked up ‘story’ starts to move quietly as if ‘old dreams’ are woken up and unraveled in a secluded archive.” It added that the book is a “soul-stirring, 100% pure Murakami world.” The publisher said details of the plot are being withheld because many Murakami fans say they prefer to start reading his books without knowing what they are about. It’s unknown if the novel is related to Murakami’s 1980 story of the same title that was published in a literary magazine. The novel is Murakami’s first since “Kishidancho Goroshi,” or “Killing Commendatore,” in 2017. A perennial candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature, Murakami, 74, published his debut novel, “Hear the Wind Sing,” in 1979 while running a jazz bar in Tokyo. His 1987 romance “Norwegian Wood” became his first bestseller, establishing him as a young literary star. Known for his magical realism, Murakami has also penned bestsellers such as “A Wild Sheep Chase,” “The Wind-up Bird Chronicle” and “1Q84.” His latest, “Killing Commendatore,” sold more than a million copies.

■ MSNBC has announced plans for a new program with former White House press secretary Jen Psaki. Titled “Inside with Jen Psaki,” it will air Sundays at 11 a.m. beginning March 19, followed by a release on NBC’s Peacock streaming platform a day later. The program plans to utilize Psaki’s public policy experience to give an in-depth look at the country’s biggest issues. “Her extensive experience in government and on the campaign trail and perspective as a White House and Washington insider is the type of analysis that sets MSNBC apart,” said Rashida Jones, the network’s president. “She’s a familiar face and trusted authority to MSNBC viewers, and we look forward to her insight during this consequential election season.” The show will include a segment called Weekend Routine in which Psaki covers the lives of notable lawmakers and thought leaders as they move through their daily activities, Variety reported.

Murakami

Psaki