Haruki Murakami (村上春樹)

 Royalty income: 3 million yuan (US$482,400)

Bestseller: "1Q84"《1Q84》

Country: Japan

Age: 63

2011 Ranking: 4

Haruki Murakami, born in 1949 in Kyoto, is considered by Chinese audiences to be one of the most renowned Japanese writers. In 1979, he wrote his first novel "Hear the Wind Sing" which soon became a hit and won a string of accolades. The Guardian praised him for being "among the world's greatest living novelists."

His most popular novels include "Norwegian Wood," "Dance Dance Dance" and "Kafka on the Shore". His fifth novel --"Norwegian Wood," originally published in 1987, has sold more than 7 million copies, and started a worldwide Haruki Murakami phenomenon. It's this nostalgic book on youth, love and loss that earned him great fame in China. His engaging "1Q84" series became a bestseller worldwide.